Malaysian food

BKT in Sunway Mas / Aman Suria

2008-05-10T17:24:00.003+08:00

Just a personal note for myself to remember my comparisons between the 3 BKT shops in this area.

Restaurant	Rice	Yutiao	Meat	Soup
Wong Siong	Oily rice available			Second best
Shun Heng			Best	Best
Cheow Sang	Only white rice	Best		Least favorite

Updates to posts

2007-02-16T09:36:00.000+08:00

Updates :- February 2007
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, a time for food and snacks, yummy.

Food-wise, it's kind of stagnant for me. Many changes are happening or have taken place, since my past reviews. Mostly are sad changes.
1) My favorite Bak Kut Teh has moved away!! And it's all due to sibling rivalry as usual (money does change people). I think they moved to Puchong or something.
2) The tai-chow in Damansara Kim also have downsized (again due to sibling rivalry), their spot is taken over by another tai-chow. Now they have a small stall, specialising in fried noodles and rice only... sad.
3) Anyhow, as mentioned previously I have found my new taichow in Sunway Mas, Restoran 88. I've tried all their dishes (no kidding, i eat out daily) and they are all quality nice. Try their spicy dishes eg. Nyonya fish/stingray, curry fish head, tomyam seafood, belachan loh soon ha kau, etc. Worthy dishes are salted egg mantis prawn, aluminium/Guiness/Marmite pork ribs, Choi heong tofu, Fried udon, herbal chicken, meatballs in beancurd skin. As usual, their business has peaked (especially on weekends)... I hope the fame/money doesn't change their quality... I hate this vicious cycle.
4) As for shopping center, I frequent 1 utama a lot and Cravings is a must. Aside from their dishes, try their snacks eg. ying yang glutinious rice, chee cheong fun, curry with toast, etc. Ask for their daily specials, they never fall short of variety and quality. Pricey but that's the price of eating at malls.

Updates :- September 2006
Back to Malaysia, have been catching up on lost food (and chores... sigh! Hence no updates). Seems to be hawker restaurants are not doing well or the owners have been losing ownership to gambling, because most hawker stalls are gone in Damansara Uptown, SS2, Taman Tun, etc. Sad. It's tough keeping track of stalls that relocate. Malaysia should host food programs to track these gems down, just like what Singapore tv is doing. Found new gems of course:-

1) A new tai chow place with lots of new original dishes (unlike the usual sweet sour pork, imperial ribs, onion ring chicken variety) called Restoran 88. It's at Sunway Mas (or is it Aman suria), at the back of Bandar Utama BU11 or Tai Kong village (off Taman Mayang). Love these new places, original and cheap. So, I'm eating as much as I can, before they increase prices or become snobbish or MIA.

2) Also for hawker stalls, I've migrated to SunYinLoong in same area for simple (nothing great) hawker food. However, this place has the best curry puff, hard to describe, but the fillings is yummy (to heck with pastry or texture).

3) Other than that, for comfort dining, I go to expensive aircon Cravings restaurant in 1Utama new wing, who's making a killing, catering to shoppers/diners who don't mind the expensive prices but appreciate good food (be it dishes or snacks) and comfortable environment. That's what businesses is about, good and new food. Try the ying yang glutinous rice, yum! Always ask for offerings of the day from the knowledgeable waitresses (I hate places where they answer "everything is nice" but when ordered, sucks to high hell).

Updates :- May 2006
Korean food - Continuing my journey, I am now back in Seoul after a 4 year hiatus. I will be here for 2.5 months and will definitely have a lot of experiences new and old to catch up on. Last time, I didn't have a digital camera, but now.... get ready! In fact, everyone has a digital camera now... can't tell a tourist apart.

Updates :- April 2006
Shanghai food - A chance to sample a new culture of food since Nov 2005 ..... and to think I've had chinese food all my life... being in China brings a whole new experience in dining.Coming up.... (time permitting of course).... a quick blog has been published but more details and stories to be added on ongoing basis... too much is happening at one time.

Updates:- September 2005
Busy busy busy. My food photos are accumulating but no time to post or update blogs. Wish I had broadband. As for now, can summarize my food experience. Some new restaurants to take note of are Hot mama in Sg wang, some hakka restaurants in Sunway Mas, etc. Hot Mama has really nice looking dishes and very interesting asian selection eg. vietnamese, thai, etc.. Went once, but will go again to try more. Tried their Viet beef noodles with drink (RM9.90)... nice.

Updates:- June 2005
Stuck in Bintulu for 2 weeks.... check out my ventures.

Updates:- 25th May
Just came back from Singapore during long wesak weekend. Food reviews coming up. This trip was a better food venture....

Updates:- March 2005
Oh gosh.... it really has been a while since I last updated this blog. Seems like my hobby and travels were in the way. Or could it be more growing impatience of not having a broadband connection and dreading the slow painful process of photo uploading and surfing the net? Anyway, I'll try to keep up.

Also, I've added in my food adventure when I was in Gold Coast recently, as well as their wonderful RTD (ready to drink) alcohols.

From latest to earliest.....

Non-malaysian food
Roppongi hill
Thai express
Ton Chan
Country farm Organic
Ikano food court
Zakuro
Bukhara
Bakerzin
Kim Gary Beyond
Manhattan Fish Market
U-village HK restaurant
Fish & co
Sri Ayutthaya
17th Street Restaurant
Chiku-Ho Ramen / Daimon Okonomi Yaki
Italiannis
Kampachi
Fasta Pasta
Tenka Daiichi Ramen Japanese noodle restaurant
Nipponyatai Mura Restaurant
Strudels
Pizza Uno
Singapore food

Local malaysian/chinese/fusion food
Rainbow palace
Imbi palace
TCK
Hot bun cafe
Pantai seafood restaurant
Restoran Tai Sek
Living Food Restaurant
Restoran Chuai Heng
Cafe Melise
Seafood porridge in PJ State (no name)
KLCC newly renovated food court
EATdonut
Restoran Sri Nirwana Maju
Shangri-la's wedding banquet
Local selection from Restoran Lim (ex Chow Yang in SS2)
Boon Tong Kee
Tai Thong mooncakes
Restaurant Wong Kok Char Chan Teng
Chopstik Noodle House, Mid Valley
Breadtalk Mid Valley Cheese Cake
Mmm Yum Yum Bak Kut Teh
Starbucks Coffee's cakes
Waffle World
Cakes from SuChan
Penang village dishes
Cheese cake from La Boheme
Cheese cake from Mikiojisan
Delicious, Ms Read
Unique Seafood 23
Pan Mee from Taman Megah

Beverages
Wild Vines flavour wine beverages

2006 - Seoul food

2006-06-01T13:10:00.000+08:00

An overview

After a month of feasting, here's my summary about korean food .... it's all about the atmosphere and the act/process of eating. I always wonder why they have their own unique palette which doesn't seem to open up to other asian food eg. malaysian or hong kong or thai. Their tastes are somehow afixed on beans/curds and spiced/cured sauces... to me, they all taste like kimchi (vinegar or garlic tastes). But to them, it's the very detail within their narrow taste spectrum. They can really tell the difference between one kimchi to the other... or one beanpaste soup to the other. I guess if you are exposed to one taste spectrum for a long time, soon enough you can tell the difference. I guess I will always be looking at the broad taste spectrum ie. big flavors.... rice will taste like rice, tofu will taste like tofu. Hence, garlic and beanpaste taste like garlic and beanpaste.

Even the chinese food is totally different.. and stereotyped on thick dark sauce noodles and maybe spicy seafood noodles, instead of rice! This, I'm personally negative against. Chinese food is not about noodles and pan-fried mandu (looks more like japanese gyoza instead of wanton)... be it high-class or street restaurant.

Soon enough, I kinda gathered that they are more fond of the process/act of eating instead of the taste. They use a lot of clay/stone pots, sizzling plates and stoves.... each having in common the process of cooking while eating. And of course the BBQ, cooking while eating... wrapping this and that.... while continuously picking from different bowls and side dishes. It's like a game of mahjong... constant movement... busy busy. Food are so hot, their mouths are always moving... slurping and at same time sucking air to cool the hot food while chewing.... hence, they eat hot/spicy food real fast.. I can never catch up... I take too long cooling the food before putting into my mouth. Some dishes consist of different phases or steps. Example, with a pot of soup and rice... they will pick the meat from the soup, then either pour soup into their rice or the other way round (more common method) or splitting this and that in a separate plate.... the styles vary... but for sure in constant movement. As a malaysian, we have a main in front of us (usually the rice) and we take from the middle/sides. But to them, its indistinguishible which is the main. There are many occasions where a hotpot is in the middle, with bubbling stew... while they pick from it to go with their rice or noodles. After finishing most contents, they start to add noodles.... like soup noodles... then they will use remaining soup to fry rice (additional rice or their remaining uneaten rice!)..... and on and on. All these and sitting on the floor (why I can never figure out why... ouch ouch) adds up to the whole dining experience. Even the japanese restaurants have progressed to have sunken floors where one sit on floor but have leg dangling room under the table. Some claimed that they can sit crosslegged for hours on end, but to me, few minutes of stretching my head forward while cross-legged, to eat at table is enough to numb my groin and thighs. Healthy or not, I prefer tables and chairs anytime... at least my stomach will not be pressed against.

Sidenote :- In Malaysia, we have steamboats, BBQ, lok-lok vans and sizzling dishes, but only for occasions. Not sure about general malaysians, but for me, I tend to shy away from cooking foods in front of me, due to the smells that stick to my clothes and skin... urgh. Ventilation is never good enough to dispel the smells despite what they claim. Next time you have a steamboat dinner eg. in Coca, have a sniff at your clothes after exit... yep, boiling soups gives off smell.. lots of it. Right now, a LAT cartoon of Colliseum restaurant comes to mind, where the diners use tablecloth to shield themselves away from the sizzling steaks served in front of them.. hahaha. When dining, I always despise the next table who orders sizzling food. Foods are meant to be cooked in the kitchen, at the back.... nevermind those open kitchens or kitchen on display for diners to enjoy. You probably can guess my take on teppanyaki. Give me a boring plate of rice (no cooking or mixing required) but tastes great, I'm game enough.

For korean BBQ occasions, it's meat, wraps and side dishes and the ending will be rice (bibimbap or burnt congee) or cold noodles! Thru it all, it sounds fun. But in the end, I must say my palette is kinda deprived. Tastewise, it is not as wide range a palette. Koreans tend to be microscopic on their taste, able to enjoy the minute tastes in their food... natural taste. One very good example is the puffer fish soup to go with rice (look below for pics). That is the most bland of all I've tasted. Just a little herb soya sauce for dipping, that's it. But that dish (believe it or not) is amongst their favorite and claimed to be the cure or food for hangovers!!! No matter how many times I've tried (to-date 4 times), it's not something I will crave for on a weekly basis.

As for noodles, their breakaway food for once... the tastes are very pure... they are not used to strong tastes. They love vietnamese pho (which is very light) or dark sauce noodles (chinese jarjeangmion) which i think is not as powerful as our wantan or dry versions noodles thanks to pork lard... yum .... or spicy seafood noodles. The noodles I couldn't stand are the cold noodles... brrrr.... not only unfulfilling but almost bland. Well, thank goodness, for globalisation... the malls around me are filled with many cuisines eg. japan, western, italian, etc..... to fix my cravings.

Other asian foods they are open to, are Indian (surprisingly, considering the strong spice flavors). But upon looking at what they eat, it looks similar to korean style ... lots of sweet curry gravy on top of rice (similar to Japanese curry style) or curry pasta ... just wet stewy-like! Popular indian chain is Delhi averaging from 5000 to 10000 won per dish.

The story goes on...

The first meal ..... what caught my attention to this restaurant is the tv program poster. Chances are this restaurant was featured and acclaimed by local tv, should be good. Vegetarian noodles... tofu and vege. Very refreshing and healthy concept. As always, korean food are complimented with condiments/side dishes eg. kimchi (a must) and radishes... the 2 most common side dish.

Not to be missed of course, is the samgyeopsol (3 layer pork) BBQ... korean style. Smoky and messy... but delicious and fun. Best eaten when seated on the floor. Look at the side dishes .... great for different combinations of wraps flavours. A pot of bulgogi for a good mix. ...a bottle of ginseng wine.... I'm satisfied.

Indian food .... seems to be well received in most asian countries. Sigh... why can't malaysian food be that well accepted. Anyway, of course, the curries are toned down and have less spice .... almost the same as Japanese curry. Well... it's an option for days of non-korean flavors. This place is called DELHI... quite a few branches around.

Thumbs up to this restaurant at COEX Asem area. The lady owners (ajummas) are very helpful always and hospitable. But of course, english descriptions and menus are scarce... so a little adventure, sign language and annoying stares from tables are due. The reward is good... coupled with a bowl of traditional milky rice wine... yum... markoli.

And I thought there was only one kind of pot rice... bibimbap.... but this time, I was introduced to Al-bap.... lots of fish eggs/roe, seaweed, sesame seeds and vege.... oh... very aromatic and kicks bibimbap out of my list for sure. A favorite for the ladies is the Daenjangjigae.... spicy soybean stew/soup.

Jeyubokem - fried pork, great to go with other food. Was recommended by ajuma. Menu is on the walls but only in korean

A new twist. Sundae (pronounced as soon-day)... a weird looking sausage that is nasty once you know of its contents. Here's the detailed description (The small and large intestines of pigs are salted and stuffed with a mixture of pig's blood, rice, green onions, garlic, minced pork, and vermicelli before being steamed. The sausage is sliced when served and some steamed lung and liver slices usually accompany it. It is a very popular dish at street vendors. Use a toothpick or chopsticks to eat, dabbing each piece in salt to taste.) This together with other pork bones/ribs/meat in a peppery of sorts soup... kinda reminds me of Bak Kut Teh. Looking at the sign on the wall, there is a method to enhance the flavors.... and that is to add the various sauces/spices at the table.... 6 steps to follow.

And the spicy version soup, which i think is more tasty than the previous clear soup. This doesn't have the soondae (sausage), instead its more bone ribs. Its called BEODAGI.

Kraze burger... that's new. But looking at the daily queues, it got my curiousity. Sure enough, burgers and sides were delicious... not oily and disgusting.... but fresh and clean, with decent sauces. The kids burger was laid with jam... weird i know, but the taste actually yummy... kids will dig it for sure. Prices are on the high though...compared to McD... average of 7000 won.

As the days go by, with more stews/soups, side dishes and spicy foods... I begin to sink into mediocrity. Does everything taste the same after a while? Is it all beans and curds? Well time will tell.

Tidbits I've tried....

Left one is the popular noodle (like Mamee) snack.

Looks similar to malaysia's snack, but this tastes so much better, yum.

Left pic - a mediocre corn snack.
Right pic - This corn chips are really really tasty... no kidding. Very addictive thin curly strips.

Local beer to go with snacks. Packaged in plastic bottles, with twist tops... nice!

One of the many vitamin/mineral water sold in supermarkets.

Never go without Gim (seaweed)... easily available in supermarkets... and also tourist markets. Average of 3000 to 5000 won per big bag. Sometimes, there are sales where you can get 2 big bags for price of one, same goes for cookies/cakes.

This brand tastes better and is the favorite.

Biscuits/cookies are very popular here. These are made gifts more often as opposed to snacks.

A popular order of tidbits for beer... squid and peanuts! Man, that squid was tough... gets stuck in my teeth

Candies and noodle snacks. The grape gummy is the best... coming from the best tasting blueberry/grape found in Korea during winter. This ORION brand is the best compared with LOTTE or HI-CHEWs... and only found in Lotte-mart supermarket at 980 won for 3 sticks.

The actual grape/blueberry variant fruit, available at supermarkets at about 4000won per bunch.... fragrant sweet.

The butter Wing biscuit from ORION is very nice, buttery and full of flavor

Street food are aplenty... usually near subway exits or shopping area

Peanut butter cuttlefish... really yummy and aromatic. It's flatten and roasted, and when it's done, it comes thru the end and shredded. Customers will then pinch them into the provided bags.

Fried stuff are very popular especially on sticks. I'm actually a fried food person but after looking at the oil and the packed meat/potatos/crumbs on the stick, I feel full by looking. The girls here dig this kind of thing while walking the streets, i wonder how they watch their weight

This is a traditional biscuit burnt there and then, over a small fire and a metal cup. But it tastest burnt and sweet... not so good for 500won each.

Squid crackers and sweet potato crisp fries - average of 2000 won a bag

Rice/nut cakes - similar to malaysian, but in different color and shapes. A little bland though for me.

Egg muffin cake - my favorite. Very aromatic and with the egg... a great fulfilling snack. 1000 won each

BBQ squids/octopus and nuts - great for snacks. It may look scary seeing these lying in the open, but once BBQ and served, yummy

Red bean cake - similar to those found in Malaysia.

Another kind of sticky rice cakes, for tea

Boiled larvaes -uurrrgh... just the smell drives me away. Unless offered, I won't try.

Hottok - fried bean cake... very popular since years ago. Queues are still lining Insadong street. Oily and best eaten fresh.

For breakfast, gimbap rolls sold at corners (1500 won)

Chestnuts are roasted without shell, so its more convenient to eat. Aromatic.

Supermarkets are very interesting, filled with fresh made street food or BBQ marinades or fresh kimchi or seaweed. Even better than walking those tourist markets eg. Namdaemun. Check out the local supermarkets eg. Lotte Mart or E-mart.

Old tea shop in Insadong - a favorite since 4 years ago, this place is doing very well. From level 1 it has expanded itself by taking over the ground floor shop. But for nostalgic reasons, I still prefer the level 1.

The popular chicken restaurant ie. roast and ginseng stuffed chicken (samgyetang). I know of a branch in Apgujeong and Myeongdong. This is the takeaway. About 10,000 won per chicken (roast/ginseng)

Another popular chicken place... but fried (www.22chicken.co.kr). Classic fried or with garlic sweet sauce (like Imperial sauce). Great for my takeaways home dinner.

In Hong Kong transit, always a good idea to visit the food court on the highest level (not sure which area) but you can't miss it once there. Its a whole floor filled with famous fastfood restaurant names eg. Cafe DeCoral, King's Palace, etc.. Wifey had the fishball noodles and ginger taufoofar .... after weeks of Korean food, one can immediately taste the big difference. And knowing Hong kong, food is a passion and the tastes are wow.... even for fishball noodles. Haven't been to Hong Kong for a while, didn't recall seeing the prices being so high... or was it the airport standard?

Spicy pork with tofu and cabbage.... very spicy... think its called 'Jeyu'

Another variation of spicy pork with tofu

Tak-kalguksu - Chicken stew with special sauce and then fried with rice. This is tasty and interesting to view/eat thru the process

Sandwich is very popular as snack and meals. Average of 1500 won, it comes with different fillings... usually egg and ham... with fried buttery bread

Street traditional sandwich is similar, but egg is like omelette (carrots and radish) and with pickles. More worth the 1500 won.

More sandwich stalls - with different fillings

Chinese sauce noodles (Jajangmyeon ) - this is the staple chinese food in korea. Go to any chinese restaurant, its being eaten at every table. It may be viewed as an insult to chinese cuisine in general or just to show the noodles craze culture in Korea eg. vietnamese pho (noodles), seafood noodles, cold soba, etc.. But (sigh)... none like malaysian noodles (assam/curry laksa, prawn noodles, pork noodles, java, wantan, pan mee, hokkien/cantonese/braised, etc..... yum).

Instant jajangmyeon, which is not too bad actually. One of the better tasting brands

Sweet sour pork in a COEX restaurant which tasted bleaaacchhhh!!!

The only decent chinese food is from Jackie's kitchen... owned by Jackie Chan (not sure) but it features his favorite chinese foods

Found out some local chinese dishes which are actually quite tasty.. KANPOONGI is like a sweet sour (little spicy) chicken fritter dish.

Traditional korean restaurant in Insadong....
Pajeon (pancake with seafood) - quite nice except ingredients were too much. I rather have the batter ... yum. Kimchi fried rice - simple and sourish spicy. Chicken stew which was quite nice (could this be similar to takkaguksu?).

Spicy stove of squid, octopus and kimchi to go with rice, of sorts..... really spicy (Nakjibokem)

More BBQ.... galbi steak... yum. After all the BBQ, ending is noodles or rice. For me, it's Al-bap... but not as good as the one I had in COEX Asem. Did you know local beef is more expensive (almost double) the price of imported ones eg. Australian? Well, they taste the same to me on BBQ.

Modenjan - Mixed fritters.... expensive (18000 won)... consist of cucumbers, fish, meat, vege, egg, potatos.... korean tempura.

A very popular small restaurant for cold soba (yes cold noodles with no meat in ice... believe it ... there are queues on peak hours). It's called Neng mo mil... usually eaten together with another order of Tongkatsu. Or the alternative noodles order is UDONG CHONGSIK, which seem to taste similar to the soba. Just off Rodeo street.

Food court food is actually quite good standards overall around Seoul's departmental stores eg. Hyundai or Shinsagae, averaging 8000 won each. Water is free everywhere in Seoul, so that's savings for you.... from dispensers. Food court system is order thru centralised cashiers, get receipt with queue numbers, then wait for your no. to pop up on screens situated around the court, numbers will appear next to stall no. for collection. It may be a little tricky with no english but with item numbering and stall numbers, should be easy.

And I thought puffer fish (yes, the poisonous one.. called BOK here) was popular in japan, but it's eaten here like the norm.... either in clear soup (bok jilin) or guess what... yes... spicy bean paste soup (bok thang... meh-oon thang means spicy soup). If blur, one would think it's chicken... the meat is tough and the bones are big unlike normal fish... there are huge rib bones too. I didn't enjoy this... soup was bland.. meat was tough.... some soya for dips... other than that, not fulfilling.

After few times of puffer fish offerings, this time I went for the spicy version.. slightly more taste but again the same.. bland except for the soya dipping. Believe it or not, puffer fish is korean's favorite food for hangovers. For me, it's the opposite... I crave strong tastes for hangovers eg. laksa or prawn noodles... since my tastebuds are pretty much numb after lots of alcohol.

I have no idea what seafood this is, but it was swimming next to the puffer fish.. could it be Sea squirt?

Japanese sets average about 6000 to 8000 won. Didn't noticed in past japanese sets, but the tempura here was nice... sweet potato, pumpkin and mint leaf.

Chinese takeouts from Jackie... just like the movies packaging. Quality is below average, but heck, when choices are thin, anything non-korean is a win win.

Takeout from chinese store near Hyundai at COEX... average of 18,000 per dish. Decent but still not up to mark... better than Jackies though. Ordered the common chicken dish called Kanpoongi (spicy chicken) similar to sweet sour.

Jade Garden in Kangnam, 4 course set meal for 29,900.. not great and not chinese for sure. A far cry from my favorite Jade Garden in Shanghai, this place has been labelled American chinese restaurant... urgh.

First decent sweet sour pork in Korea and it's called Szechuan Sweet sour pork (Sachon tangsooyeok). Takeout from chinese restaurant in Apgujeong.

Fried fish fillet with rice for lunch (with spicy sauce of course)

At Folk Village outdoor traditional food court, had the fritters (twigim) and noodles with dongdongju (i prefer makoli)

Mad for garlic - various pizzas takeaways (cheaper to do so 10,000 won instead of 15,000! That's 30% discount) eg. teriyaki chicken pizza (chicken pieces are very nice, reminds me of charsiew..hehehe), Gorgonzola pizza (eaten with honey, nice) and Margherita pizza. Overall, pizzas are very tasty, refreshing and light at same time.

These are what I've tried and are superb. Highly recommended restaurant, great cosy and romantic ambience. Located in Apgujeong and COEX area.

Local garlic chain - Mr Pizza. Tried the expensive favorite, Potato Gold (18,000). It was interesting to have potatos and pumpkin/sweet potato sauce. Very filling.

Shanghai food

2006-02-26T21:26:00.000+08:00

A chance to sample a new culture of food since Nov 2005 ..... and to think I've had chinese food all my life... being in China brings a whole new experience in dining.

Coming up.... (time permitting of course)

An Overview

Hairy crab – a big deal with locals for this delicacy during autumn/winter. It’s relatively expensive, small and troublesome messy. Sure, some say the roe (egg) or slime tastes great (with a dip of vinegar/soya sauce) … I’ve tried better roe (my favorite of course SANG HAR (raw prawn) MEE very egg-y and rich (interpret : high cholesterol)). Meat-wise, I have better satisfaction cracking and digging into much bigger crabs back home…. Nothing beats chewing onto something… instead of sucking and nibbling at fingernail sizes of flesh…hmm, reminds me of those crab legs starters at Hooters ...well worth it (especially with hooter girls helping you with the legs!). Overall, hairy crab is an experience, but not for repeats.

Dumplings (xiao lung pao or zhiwei dumplings) – how I got sick of this delicacy so quickly…. I guess how the chinese eats this frequently is explained by how koreans eat kimchi. Looking at the popularly known huge queues at YuYuan is appalling. This is not difficult to cook and can be found in many china restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia. In fact, I got sick of it eating in Singapore prior to reaching Shanghai.. hehehe.

Cold starters – the norm in shanghai (or china in general perhaps?). Probably western influence to have ‘starters’ concept? Back in malaysia, there’s no starters concept persay…. just ‘how many’ course that’s all. In shanghai, it’s difficult to tell which is starter (aside from looking at menu) except maybe based on ‘cook or not cook’ concept. If it involves cooking on the spot, then it’s not starters. So, anything that’s prepared in advance is a starter eg. roast duck/pork/chicken, salad, jelly, etc.. Sweet dishes served in beginning is also considered starters (not desserts). After going thru all the starters, it’s amazing how one can start with the main dishes and dessert later. Well…. the concept here is ‘doggy bag’ or leftovers…. take home wat’s left (of course, this is only done in private events ie. not company events). Even the way the locals eat at Malaysian restaurants (example) are similar to westerners... order everything from fried noodles to rice to dishes and place all in the middle for picking, unlike malaysians who order their own rice and noodles, place it at respective places and pick from some dishes in middle.

Rice - this is supposed to be the staple food, but nope. In restaurants, this is the slowest to appear at tables no matter how many times you ask and remind the staff. I mean duh... they actually expect you to believe that they cook upon request? Well, generally locals don't eat rice in restaurants... they eat dishes only.

Milk/yoghurt drink - this are actually drank during lunch or dinner... yes!? Believe it. Was having dinner and was being asked what drinks we wanted... I nearly choked when girls ordered milk! Sorry... but I always perceived milk to be associated with bread or cereal or cookies... but never oily or salty chinese foods.

Beer - this is the cheapest drink on the menu. A bottle of 600ml or 700ml cost from RMB10 to RMB20, as compared to juices or soft drinks which average RMB10 to RMB25. And don't be shocked when waiters asked if you want the beer hot or cold... damn... they drink beer warm! And cold does not mean icy chilled beer... just cool... urgh!

Snacks / tidbits – overall, I’ve tried many a size and packaging… nothing is worth having repeatedly. Once is enough. Boring. Locals keep going for the same nuts or sunflower seeds or dried fish/squid or tasteless biscuits/cookies. CNY goodies are of the worst ho-hum variety… nothing like those I dive into at relatives/friends houses in Malaysia. Worst tidbit I had was like vacuum-packed meat parts!... urgh… beef-jerky substitute of the worst kind. Most frequented snack I picked up here? Got to be Lays chips… very nice and lots of variety…. Aside from that, microwave popcorn and healthy seaweed.

Deviations – taufoofar here is of the oddest, it is served like a dish?!! Salty, with condiments and soup!?!

Habits – locals are very health-conscious…. constantly seeping on chinese tea or having yoghurt or fruits with/between meals. Exercise is part of the daily regime if not sports eg. badminton, ping pong, basketball, etc... Drinking tea mixed with ‘kei chi’ (that red drops of herbs that supposedly benefits eyes) is part of the health regime.

ENJOY card - a discount and voucher membership, very good concept and systematic. Comes with a handy map with locations of discounts from 10% upwards and alphabetical index. Good for finding restaurants when touring.

Sherpas delivery - delivery service which caters to a wide variety of restaurants around Puxi and Pudong, charges service based on distance.

Shanghai Food log

First meal in Shanghai in RIYO, Green city, Jin Qiao- not being very adventurous, decided on Japanese. Can't go wrong. Anyway, this place has good sashimi. All you can eat buffet is RMB158... good value.

Water supply for the whole stay in Shanghai, this brand is endorsed by Coca Cola and at RMB3 for such size, super!

First proper sit-down shanghainese dinner at Jade Garden. Superb service and quality. All the below for RMB300+. BURP!
Tofu -

Roast duck -

Cucumber -

Cold chicken and spicy peas -

Honey lotus root -

Shrimps -

Fish fillets -

Cabbage rolls -

Pear Dim sum -

Brewed Soup -

Dessert -

Xiao Long Pao -

First dim sum lunch at Jade Garden
another modern and popular restaurant, with many branches around Shanghai. I have tried 2 branches… both equally giving quality and attentive service …. favorite being at Maoming Lu (off Shanxi Lu)…. because of the deco, ambience and quality dim sum…. Yum.

Vegetable -

Dessert -

Har kau -

Noodles -

Chicken legs -

Pau -

Sour dumpling -

Spring roll -

Char siew puff -

Egg tart -

Noodle

Mango roll

Food court in shanghai
Believe it or not, this is actually roti canai, with choice of any ingredients eg. Ham, egg, fruits, etc..

Looking closely, you can see the red bean and desserts, god knows how long they have been brewing… almost turning into glue.

My korean dinner.

Colorful mockups and selections... cheap

My dinner... huge portion for less than RMB20

Lisboa Café, B1 level, Times square, Huahai Lu, Puxi – nice Macau cum HK restaurant, good Macau pork chop burger, egg tarts and snacks.
Coffea tea mix

Pork chop burger

Domani, Superbrand mall, Pudong
Simple location, great view, good romantic ambience, good food, not popular... good for me.
River view

Appetiser platter

Cheese platter

Pizza

Tiramisu

Stawberry park, Parkson, Huahai - not much choices to eat in Parkson except the SQ dressed waitress restaurant Crossroads downstairs, this dessert place has decent malaysian food too. Another branch in Jingan Temple basement level.
Strawberry puff -

Laksa -

Baked rice -

Ran Japanese, JinXiao, Pudong
Good environment and friendly girl staff. Outdoor dining during spring and autumn... my first outdoor japanese dining was here.
Claypot 1 -

Claypot 2 -

Tang Dynasty, Thumb Plaza (Da Moh Zhe), Fangdian Lu, Pudong – modern and grand, with 3 floors, grand piano and a lift from ground level…. The menu is probably done by the same menu designer as Shanghai uncle… full of pictures and descriptions. Offerings are mix of cantonese, szechuan, shanghainese and the exotic (snake, rabbit, toad, etc.). This is where I had the most ‘exotic’ in my life (well… aside from the poisonous puffer fish (fugu) sashimi in Tokyo)…. fried snake and …. (drum roll)… snake bladder in a shot glass of local spirits…. urggh. It looked like a giant green nut shaped like cashew. The latter of course was claimed to benefit the eyes and reduce body heat. Little did I realise 1 month later, I came across a news article of a boy being infected with parasites as a result of eating the bladder. Little was mentioned how he ingested it or under what circumstances, but the doctor was quoted saying that such methods of ingesting are not advisable….. best is taking processed powder from the bladder. Now they tell me… I only hope that I am like the millions of Chinese who have ingested it many times before without a problem. Well, at least I’m glad I didn’t drink the snake blood that came with the bladder!!! That would have been wicked, mixed with spirits… thank goodness, we didn’t have the proper spirits for the mix or I would have submitted under peer pressure.

Colorful and informative menus

Crispy char siew - bland

Fried kway teow

Pan fried pau

Egg tart - never dissapoints

Hot pot place somewhere that I can't remember- a hot favorite for winter.... especially the szechuan soup. Super hot, tongue numbing... defeats the purpose of eating, doesn't it?

Tsingtao of different size/variety -

The yin yang soups - the spicy soup was just too spicy .. no taste at all or maybe my taste buds were burnt beyong repair

Beef - fresh and tender

Others -

Shanghai uncle, 8F Times Square, Pudong – my favorite restaurant so far ie. ambience, service, menu selection, quality. Menu is filled with pictures and descriptive english. I always love menus which indicates the ‘best sellers’ or recommendations…. makes ordering a whole lot easier instead of interogating the waitresses only to get stupid remarks like ‘All our food are nice’ (yeah right) or guessing/picking a few to discover otherwise or peeking at neighbouring tables for samples while irrititating the diners (this doesn’t work ‘cos I’ve seen locals peeking into my table (the tourist’ table) for samples….… hehehe… only if they knew). Specials here are the ribs and roast pork (doused in fire for effect).

Cosy

Appetizers on crackers

Crispy eel ... yummy

The popular ribs with pine nuts

Seafood cheese pasta

Pieroth white wine - nice

Crispy fish appetizer

Shrimp flakes with baked bread/biscuits

Steinlager beer at RMB15

Fried dough - too thick and sticky. Should get inspiration from Malaysia's version.

Cabbage and ham... common dish

Appetisers -

Fiery Roast pork -

Fish -

More and more

Local white wine -

Innocent looking but >40% alcohol potent -

Quanjude, Huahai Rd – famous for the peking duck, I had to try how the peking duck is like in China (with Malaysian standard in mind). Place was packed (then again, what’s not packed at peak hour in China)…. Had to take queue no’s while we sat and witness the impatient locals arguing and constantly checking on their turns…. While the traditionally dressed hostesses ushered and greeted guests. I sympathised with them, having to dress in those traditional costumes and stand for hours end on those authentic single-square-block-clogs… while they walk in small steps up and down ushering… must be hell on their soles! Anyway, I was finally led through a maze of corridors and escalator from the entrance to the back of the building … more tables and more crowds… smoked up by smokers. Long story short…. Peking duck was a dissapointment…. had no condiments as per Malaysia… just simple wrap with spring onion and sauce…. dull. Difference was the meat was more cured… stronger taste.
The crowd/ queue

The ushers

Shrimp baskets

Slicing the peking duck

Noticed the color of the meat, reminds you of cured meat

Leftovers are cooked in soup

Tony G, Biyun Lu, Jin Xiao, Pudong
After frequenting many restaurants around Puxi and Pudong so far ... but this place is the worst so far. Service is bad and haphazard. Food is not good. Expensive for the standard. Bad ventilation (I just hate the smell of szechuan peppers). English menu is not descriptive and a pain to choose from. All pictures showed red color items... but what they were, no idea.
Pumpkin -

Rib -

Mix vege -

Pigeon -

Blue Frog, Biyun Rd, Pudong – a western family oriented restaurant cum pub (upstairs), popular to expats and richer locals alike. Prices are high… US based. Burgers (from RMB65) to ribs (>RMB100) to drinks (>RMB20) …. Expect to pay average of at least RMB80 per person. I had a bad choice of a small thin glass of banana smoothie at exorbitant RMB30… should have gone for the refillable lemon tea. Burgers are quite good…. meat is tasty.
Blue frog burger with mexican chilli at RMB80 a pop!

Tuna sandwich

Moon river, Thumb Plaza (Da Moh Zhe), Fangdian Lu, Pudong – a cheaper alternative to Blue Frog in a more upbeat milkbar/Happy Days sitcom environment…. burgers range from RMB40, ribs from RMB60, etc.. Free popcorn, refillable soft drinks/lemonade, generous portions… affordable. Dislikes : ribs are worst kind (felt like they boiled the ribs and top them up with sauce… hence easy off the bones), mushroom burger was uninteresting (my mindset was Burger King’s creamy mushroom-like burger but instead got brown gravy dark kind), country chicken was boring. Heard the shakes are good (RMB30)

Tai Sheng Yuan, Xin Jin Xiao Rd., Jin Xiao, Pudong
Considered one of the best in service, taste and value this part of Pudong. I have eaten here numerous times including takeaways. Highly recommended, it's always packed even on weekdays.
Takeaway… Sweet sour pork, roast duck and vege -

Vegetarian duck -

Fish + meat appetizer -

Vege -

Maw -

Deadly mixture… wine, beer and yoghurt milk -

Sashimi -

Scallops in cheese -

Tofu vege -

Hairy crab -

And that’s how it looks like inside ….

Shrimp puff

Braised gluten and vege

Sweet sour fish

Pork leg

HK restaurant in Nextage Mall, 10th floor
This place is always packed and typical of HK scene. Queue numbers and chairs outside for people to wait. HK food is a craze.
Roast pork/roast duck -

Roast pork

Iced kailan with wasabe soya sauce - refreshing and nice

Bittergourd pork rice

Local poison

Indian Kitchen, Biyun Lu, Jin Xiao, Pudong
As usual, indian restaurants in foreign countries are highly priced which I think is ridiculous. Imagine...a naan or prata at RMB20!!! C'mon, it's just flour, are we daft... in KL, it's just 50cents or max RM1 and that's the price of flour! But anyway, when all options run out, sometimes indian food it is. Indian food definitely needs a kick in the butt of reality, to have low or medium price establishments... bring in the mamaks. Imagine sipping cheap teh tarik or lassi or chai during spring and autumn... outdoors! That's going to pack the millions in.
Curry -

Expensive prata -

Hu Xiang Yue: 98 Bai Hua Road, Pudong Tel: 50307777/50307779
A restaurant in a quiet neighbourhood... no shops or other restaurants to compete with. In between XinJinqiao and Thumb Plaza, but it still packs the crowds in. Decent food (Shanghai, Hunan, Cantonese)

Lotus root again -

Sashimi -

Local river fish which is cooked with scales intact!!... to preserve the meat texture-

Shrimps again -

Vege -

Spicy meat -

More more food -

Hairy crab -

Soup -

Pan fried dumpling -

Dessert -

Bi Feng Tang, Thumb Plaza (Da Moh Zhe), Fangdian Lu, Pudong – casual eatery in a village/boat deco, serving nice crab porridge (RMB20), dim sum and noodles…. as well as usual dishes eg. roast meat. Many branches around shanghai... some has very good outdoor settings/environment, done up like huts in kungfu movies or boats.
Crab porridge

Dough fritter rolls - too salty and bland

Some chinese Restaurant, Superbrand mall, Pudong
On the 8th floor (i think) of this mall, there are huge and endless choices of restaurants to choose from. Walk from one end to the other, you will still not be able to make a choice. Anyway, we just stopped midway and chance upon one. Pretty decent.
Tung po meat -

Beef in dough fritters

Snacks shop –this kind of shops are everywhere ... always packed and if unsure, one would think there’s a sale going on… join in the rush!

Typical Snacks shop - Looks so clinical, one would think it's a pharmacy

Nuts weighed and packed in brown bags

Or prepacked

Some snacks

Korean snacks available in supermarkets

Favorite korean noodle too

More korean hot sauce

Some local and japanese snacks

Candy and biscuits

Snacks cum fruits shop – again, more hustle bustle… are those people actually props to create hype? Fruits look colorful and fresh…. But are they nice? Nope, they weren’t as sweet as they looked upon trying

Misc – so many and yet much not documented
Old speckled hen -

Bread from Carrefour -

Cakes (chocolate, cheese) - from our hotel, Ramada. After 8pm, it's 50% off. So no surprise, where I got my pounds from.

Green king IPA -

Yu tiao and gross tau foo far -

Longjing tea

Longjing tea from Hangzhou at RMB80

Some Panettone cake for Xmas mood

Microwave popcorn for movie nights

Pork and beef Jerky

Street sweets

True White (local)- medicinal

Dynasty red (local)- bland

Dynasty White wine (local)- my favorite, cheap too RMB25. Sometimes with body and sometimes without... keep longer for more body.

Chestnuts - peeled and soft but not as good as the roasted ones on the streets

Self-made dimsum -

Workplace canteen with decent chinese food and pastries to keep lunch decisions simple -

Korean hot sauce to transform rice to bibimbap -

Street snacks
5 spice Pancake -

Another stall at different place, herd mentality draws the queues even though same product/same company -

BBQ meat/pigeon/fish/squid

Dumplings and dessert stuff, packs in the queues at Yuyuan

Takeaway local noodles -

Squid (I could have sworn that looked like rat in the beginning) -

Ribs

Tapioca cake -

Fish -

Tea café, Nextage mall - at 6th floor (i think), the sports clothing floor, this nice cosy cafe is a great place to unwind and relax from this busy shopping center. It has great private rooms at the back, superb for spreading out and romantic chit chat. Great choice of fusion tea, smoothies and herbal drinks. A gem!
Tea (average of RMB30 per pot) -

Sandwich and tea

Blueberry cake

Papa Johns
A popular pizza joint asided from Pizza hut. Great delivery service.

Pizza Italia
Decent pizza place
Pizza -

Pasta -

Set - disgusting

Una's Pizza

Pepperoni pizza - the only good one worth ordering, aromatic and crispy

Pasta for variety but uninspiring

Pizza hut
Pizza is not cheap in Shanghai but yet this place draws in the queues everywhere, strange. At average RMB80 a pizza, I wonder where the young ones get the money. I mean ... with 2 pizza price, a nice chinese dinner for 4 can be eaten at a nice restaurant.
Mushroom Risotto!! More like wet gravy rice but hey, when I eat out everyday, sooner or later, I run out of choices. If it tastes good, wat the hey. Followed by pasta and porcini risotto... blobs! Looks yucky doesn't it?

Hangzhou ,
The one place to visit, the only one needed. 2 hours away on train or 3 hours bus ride. This place has everything I wanted from China eg. the scenery (lakes, hills, gardens), sightseeing, shopping (Yan'an Rd and Hefang Rd), etc. Everything is within reach of the RMB10 initial cab fare. Food is cheaper than Shanghai but more oily and fatty.
Train food -

Lunch rice pack -

Traditional biscuits -
More traditional snacks from Hefang Rd-
Flour cakes with red bean filling, hot and fresh -
Fried Insects -
Sweets/fruits on sticks -

Tianxianglou restaurant, 447 Yan'an Road (87076789)
Famous Tung Po Pork and stewed duck -

Temple food at General Yue Fei's Temple and Tomb
Mixed rice -
Sweet Potato -

Flavor Savoring Tower, 83 Renhe Road (87065871) - popular for snack/dim sum
Poster -
Cat ear -
Zhiwei dumpling -

Dim sum -

Rice cake -

Pau from Xinfeng Snacks, 183 Yan'an road (87062579)-

Kuiyuan Restaurant (upstairs), 154 Jiefang Road (87028626)
Cheap beer -

Quick fried Eel and Shelled Shrimp noodles - popular order. It was ok, oily though.

With soup (oil oil oil!!!!) -

Traditional Hangzhou Dishes

Hangzhou enjoys a varity of local flavor dishes such as Dongpo Pork,West Lake Carp in Sweet and Sour Sauce,Shelled Shrimps with Dragon Well Green Tea,Beggar's chicken,Jingle Bell,Honey Ham,All birds Paying Homepage to Phoenix and Quick-fried Prawns.
Dongpo Pork: Legend has it that in the Northern Song Dynasty when the emient writer Su Dongpo organized a large-scale dredging of the lake as the governor of Hangzhou,he made Dongpo Pork to reward the labourers.Till now it has a history of over 900 years. It is featured by red and bright color,pure taste and thick juice,crisp but not broken and oily but not greasy.

West Lake Carp in sweet and sour Sauce
It's also called Love between Brother & sisiter In-Law.\A legend about its origin has it that in the Southern Song Dynasty there was a lady called Sister Song who cooked a bowl of fish seasoned with sugar and vinegar to whet her sick brother's appetite.Now it is cooked of a fresh West Lake grass Carp and blends three flavors of fresh sweet and sour.It tastes fresh and tender with a flavor of crab.

Beggar's Chicken
Slay a fat and tender chicken,wrap it on fresh lotus leaves and bake it with fire.The dish tastes tender and crisp,and falls easily on the bones. Louwailou Restaurant

Other Local Dishes
Besides the above traditional Hangzhou dishes ,there are some other renowned dishes such as Shelled Shrimps with Dragon Well Green Tea,Fish Balls in Clear Soup,Stewed Spring Bamboo Shoot,Steamed Meat Wrapped with Lotus Leaf,West Lake Water Shield Soup,Quick-fried Eel Slices,Hangzhou Soy-sauce Duck and Salty Meat,etc.They all have particular flavors.

New Hangzhou Dishes

All together 48 kinds.They are distinguished for fresh tastes ,materials and cooking methods.They not only absorb flavors of traditional Hangzhou dishes, but also take in the strongpoints of Chinese eight styles of cuisines.

Stewed Duck with Dried Bamboo
Based on the principle thet "cure and medicine have the same source",it is elaborately made according to a secret prescription handed down in the family from ancestors.Oily but not greasy,soft but not loose,it tastes fresh and delicious with pleasant color,fragrance,taste and shape.

Other New Hangzhou Dishes
Besides the above new Hangzhou dishes,there are many other new Hangzhou dishes good at color,fragrance,taste and shape,including Stewed Frondosus and Chicken,Pigeon with Chili and Salt,Hot Plate Weever,Mandarin Fish in Crab Sauce,Potted Fish Head and Ribs in Bamboo Leaves.

Noted Hangzhou Snacks

Hangzhou has a varity of special snacks with long histories,delicate shapes and delicious flavors. Lots of snacks have interesting stories about their origin.Famous snacks are Zhiwei Small Dumplings ,Noddles with Quick Fried Eel and Shelled Shrimp,Hangzhou Noodles with Pork and Bamboo Shoot,Cat's Ear,Southern Big Bun,Wu Hill Crisp Cakes and Flour Cake Rolled with Shallot and Sauce inside.

Flour Cake Rolled with Shallot and sauce inside
Legend has it that in the Southern Song Dynasty,people hated Qin Hui couple and a certain peddler who sold fried food made Qin's figure with flour and murmured"fry Qinhui..." while frying.Later it evolved into flour cake rolled with shallot and sauce inside.Use fine white flour to make a pie sheet,wrap with fried oil dough and shallot chop,then stave on the fried pan untill it becomes golden,at last apply with sauce.

Cat's Ear
It gets its name for its shape is like a cat's ear.It is elaborately made with agate-like ham dice and amber-like chicken dice.It's quite danity with fresh juice and delicious taste.

Hangzhou Noodles with Pork and Bamboo Shoot
It is made with sliced pork and condiments such as bamboo shoot slices and vegetables. The noodles taste delicious with fresh and soft sliced meat and vegetables and bamboo shoot slices of bright hue and luster.

Noodles with Quick Fried Eel and Shelled Shrimp
Use a sturdy and fresh eel,cut it into slices,fry it with grain oil,stir-fry it with meat oil,and then pour sesame oil on it untill the eel slices become golden and crispy. Then season it with clear freshwater shrimps and boil the noodles with the original soup,making noodles absorb the aura of the eel and shrimps.The noodles taste fresh with thick soup.

Zhiwei Small Dumplings
Use fermented fine flour to make wrappings,and fresh meat and shelled shrimp or minced chicken and ham as filling.Then put them into special cases and steam with quick fire.The steamed meat bun has fresh and fragrant juice,thin and smooth wrappings and different flavors.

2005 - Singapore food

2005-06-18T15:57:00.000+08:00

Soupz restaurant, 1st floor DFS, Scotts rd -
a delightful place decorated like a courtyard in a kungfu chinese era, with cozy corners and mood lighting, this place is quite hidden from public eye. The chicken I must say is the best I've tried.... and I'm one who doesn't know how to differentiate between steam food.... but this has got to be the smoothest and yummiest, especially when wrapped in cabbage and the ginger provided. Olive rice was interesting too. As for the claypot tofu, heavenly soft (once again, I'm no tofu lover). Great place.

2005 - Bintulu food

2005-06-13T15:30:00.000+08:00

Another exotic location in my travel log to be added, as part of where SAP projects take me to.

Haven't been to East malaysia before (nor could I recall my trip to Kuching 9 years ago), I was as usual having the anxieties of a usual traveller in regards to Bintulu ie. how is the hotel, is the food good, what is there to do or see, will I suffer from boredom, etc.?

Upon boarding the plane with my little travelling family, there seems to be a decent variety of people in the plane ie. expats and families (probably similar to my situation of wife not wanting leave my side), locals, students, working malaysians and tourists (!!). A plane of unworthy praise, with a layout seating of 3 by 3. Due to my baby, our seatings were separated so that wife an baby could have the first row. But luck behold, the next seat was somehow left empty ie. either a no-show passenger or stroke of coincidence, I took it of course.... yea..... joined at last. Wanted the kids meal but stewardess claimed children below 2 are only entitled to infant meal (as paying 10% of flight cost). Still, after some discussion, came some bread and butter, potato salad and cake.

At immigration, was surprised that I only need to produce IC and signed on 3 month permit of sort. Thought Malaysians are malaysians and don't require permits for any states. Well, I guess east and west have their reservations. Not even sure why east malaysians are given better treatment in singapore ie. more permit duration and easier going tax treatments.

Taxis are about RM20++ to the town area which takes about barely 30 mins to my hotel. Taxi system here is not very controlled. No meters are installed and require some negotiation skills. Taxis are always haggling for fixed customers travelling to and from work and hotel.

My hotel Parkcity Everly was supposedly the best Bintulu could offer and turned out to be barely 4 star standard (KL standard) but was decent enough with big outdoor pool, 1 restaurant and 1 cafe. Breakfast spread is good and tasty ie. fresh egg stall, dim sum, laksa/local delights, breads and jams/butter, juices, fruits, yoghurts, porridge, etc..

Lifestyle is pretty tame.... no major shopping centers ie. mostly shops and mini markets here and there. Restaurants are spread out and are not very enthusiastic. I had some bad food experiences (Peace Garden restaurant) as well as good (Apple restaurant in same area Parkcity). Local vege is called Bidin which is best fried with belachan.... which looks interesting as it's curled up at the ends. It has that slight-slimy after-feeling upon eating.

Considering the laid back town, prices here are the same as KL ie. groceries and food..... seems to be tough on the lower income majority here. It's no wonder the retail and food business here is lacking in energy, it probably only caters to a small percentage of tourists/higher income earners.

After a few Q&A with locals and tourists alike, I've decided to stay put around my hotel area and not venture out anywhere hoping for a good touristic time ie. just take it easy and not get stressed unnecessarily. So far, the usual recommendations are to Niah caves (1.5 hours drive) or even to far off Miri town (3 hours drive). Having to try different food outside of the hotel is adventure enough for me.

Overall, I must say the town is decent and non-exciting.... great for peace loving individuals or families. There isn't any traffic jams, no rush, no night life.... no distractions.... just life at its own pace.

Some food pics will be coming soon.... some are misses and some good hits.

Misses
Peace Garden restaurant at Parkcity area - overall bad service and tasteless food, questionable hygiene.

Hits
Apple restaurant in Parkcity area (next to hotel) - this is a far cry from the previous restaurant, much better service, cleaner environment and superb dishes. Ordered the steam cod fish, fried local bidin vege with garlic, apple chicken, stuffed prawn balls in tofu stew and signature dessert coconut pudding. All in all cost about RM55. The pudding was superb ie. light, not too sweet similar to tau foo fa.

M&D's restaurant in my hotel (Parkcity Everly)..... not too bad considering they are specially cooked for us (not on the menu).... chicken with ginger, fried local vege bidin in belachan and black pepper beef (total RM40)

Happy Garden restaurant in Medan Jaya area -
Another recommendation for chinese food. Had the Sabah vege, roast duck, seafood soup and fried cod fish.

2005 - Brisbane holiday F&B

2005-04-21T18:42:00.000+08:00

My typical nutrition throughout the entire 1 week trip.... fast western food and beer..... lots of chips. No chilli sauce in this region though... mayonnaise and vinegar, that's all. Average price per dish is about AUD10 (yep, that's about RM30 a pop) and AUD5-6 per alcohol. Crown Lager is about the best tasting beer ever.

More western fast food ie. Baby back BBQ Pork ribs (AUD17.80) from Billy Baxters at Surfers Paradise esplanade and more experimental beer.

Howl at the moon restaurant and bar, Surfers Paradise Esplanade - More ribs but served in a bowl and meat on a skewer. The ribs here was better than the earlier ribs.... more tender and tasty. The bottle of wine was complimentary!.... using a voucher I ripped from a tour guide booklet (which turned out to be very useful throughout the trip). Dessert was superb, while enjoying the 2 piano players back to back entertainment.

The following are the superb RTD (ready to drink) cocktails and beers that I tried out every night...... yummy and fun. Favorite brand is Mudshake... with lots of flavors.

Coffee Club, Pacific Fair, Gold Coast - a tea break consisting of cheese cake and cappucino. Cake here is much different from the ones I tried from Singapore.... tastier.

2005 - Non-malaysian food

2005-04-21T08:38:00.000+08:00

Ropponggi Hill Restaurant, 2nd floor, New Wing, 1 utama - a mix shanghai and japanese restaurant, I think they did a mixed up job in decorating the place. From the outside, I thought it was like a food court but inside, it had an upper class ambience. Probably the reason why it is relatively quieter than its neigbours. Not sure why there weren't more tables, as they had so much floor space. Looking at the menu, it was a mix of shanghai dishes and noodles as well as japanese ala carte and bento sets.... strange combination. Always asking for recommendations, the young student-like waitress named Yuli, pointed confidently at no. 31 (shanghai spicy noodles with mixed meat - RM9.50) and no. 113 (Torikatsu Don - RM17.90). I was skeptical about the reddish looking soup in the menu, but what the heck... I wasn't that hungry anyway. Sure enough, the noodles came and it was as expected, uninteresting. Despite its spicy-prawn-noodle-looking color, it wasn't spicy. The soup was just salty and without any distinctive taste. The noodles was springy but came in small portion (probably equivalent to 1 packet of instant noodle). Overall, not worth it. As for the torikatsu, the portion was big and tasty. Hmm... perhaps their strength is in their Japanese cuisine. Still, with their pricey menu, I'm not sure if they should depend on selling Japanese food in a non-jap environment. Green tea is RM2 each. Will I come back? Perhaps, just to given them a chance at the noodles.

Thai Express, Curve at Mutiara Damansara - avoid this so called thai place like the plague. Has to be the sorriest excuse for a thai restaurant. Deco or layout was bad.... ventilation was bad - our clothes stunk after, could hear the kitchen wok being stirred throughout, food sucked worse than a foodcourt.

Ton Chan, 1st floor, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara - another japanese joint, this was the worst. Had the ramen, california rolls of sorts and teriyaki chicken rice. Except for the ramen perhaps, the rest doesn't qualify as japanese standard. This is the last time for me.... and even for future ventures in The Curve.

Country farm organics at Rainforest section of 1 utama new wing - decided to eat healthily one day, this place came to mind immediately. Ordered one of the rice dishes, fried noodles and rojak. All tasted good surprisingly and were a change of tastes for once. Not too oily.... just right. Very nice... will come back for more.

Ikano Food court - running out of restaurants, I've resorted to food courts now.. hehehe. Anyway, this place is very spacious and has good lighting/ventilation, very suitable for families and children. Tried the ramen at korean stall..turned out alright, nothing like those I had when in Seoul. Had the pancake at Taiwan stall, alright but passable. The weakest stall was the Penang one, the worst popiah ever and at RM2+ each... terrible, I could make better popiah...it's common sense skill...sheesh.

Update April 2005
Deciding to give the Taiwan noodle stall a chance, this time I asked for recommendations and a confident answer was their signature beef noodles (soup or dry). Always skeptical about beef dishes, I ordered the dry version. Turned out to be a good surprise, the noodles were soft and tasty (with garlic garnishing). The beef was tender and super tasty... my wife wanted to exchange dishes then. My taste satisfaction was slightly dissatisfied with the smaller-than-I-would-prefer-it portion, but then again, given a good thing, one always wants more. Had another recommendation, this time from the dessert stall... yam ice kacang of sorts. The yam was generous and rich in taste, mixed with the evaporated milk and sweets, overall was satisfying. Definitely will frequent the food court for more good surprises.

Korean stall at Food court at Bangsar Shopping Center - owned by koreans, I tried the bibimbap which turned out better than I had in Seoul, Korea, strangely. Perhaps the one here was localised to our palettes.

2005 - Local malaysian/chinese/fusion food

2005-04-21T08:32:00.000+08:00

Celebrity Kitchen restaurant, Sunway Mas (behind Bandar Utama, next to Kg Pandan) -
promising place, half aircon and half not. The food was alright, decent. The weakest was the butter prawns which was unlike any I have tried in the past. The fei-chow fish was weaker than the neighbouring Tai Sek restaurant (which btw seems to have lost its crowd... did something happen this very night I passed by?). The yin yang pork ribs was interesting. Sotong was alright but nothing much to shout about. Will I try this place again? Hmmm... not unless I have nowhere else to go or am too lazy to venture elsewhere.

Chef Loong cuisine, SS2 - Long have I wanted to try this place from the first newspaper article probably a year ago. But somehow the strange opening hours seem to have eluded me. Till i found out that it only opens in evenings and for dim sum only! Well, after a short 10 min wait outside staring down into people eating near the entrance... hehehe... got a table inside. Being impatient and wanting a quick crash course, I ordered almost everything on the menu that looked nice and within my stomach capacity. Overall, the service was fast. The dim sum I must say is fresher than what we usually have at Tai Thong, but taste-wise, I'm not that captivated or convinced. There seems to be a cutoff between quality and taste sacrifice. Will I come back? Nope, not with the queue and trouble as compared to the my usual dim sum convenience elsewhere.

Charn Kee Tasty Corner, 35 Jln Alor - was told the seafood noodles was good here. Turned out half true. The soup version was bland and uninteresting. But the balls/dumplings were tender and tasty. I'm thinking maybe the dry version would be a better choice. The side order 'special fish ball' was also tender and tasty. For those who appreciate soft, bouncy and juicy ball/dumpling, this is it. The ice kacang drinks was nice for a change, not too heavy... just right as a refreshing drink in this hot restaurant.

Soong Kee, Jln Silang - famous for the beef ball noodles, this place is a historical landmark in the heart of noisy KL. Difficult to find parking, except in nearby open air carparks/office areas or risk double parking ala KL style. Surprised after many years, this place has finally upgraded to a fully aircon establishment. As usual, the satisfaction and quality is superb, never fading. Still better than the stall at Tengkat Tong Shin IMO.

Friend's aunty's recipe - pear flan.... superb and rich. Had their peach flan and strawberry cake before.... worthy and safely say, good competition with Ms Read and LaManila.

Yee Sang DIY - these days, yee sang seems to be available prepacked and sold at supermarkets. Some I had were as follows.... throw in some sushi and voila, like real, yeah... tastes were not too bad, nothing to complain about considering the price is more than half cheaper:-

Penang joint at top floor of 1 utama old wing (near TGV) - another malaysian food place, pricey and forgettable. Hmm... seems like a lot of these places have no competition in them... everything seems to taste about the same everywhere.

Rainbow Palace, top floor of Wisma Campbell - another restaurant which I had CNY dinner with friends again. Overall very nice for chinese banquet. The following was the only pic. The so called 4 seasons dish was unique and superb.... sharks fin, abalone, prawn, etc.

Imbi Palace, off Jln Imbi - had a nice dinner at this restaurant amongst friends. One of the dishes I snapped pics of, is the ribs which was distributed in a nice manner.

TCK, basement level of Old wing, 1 utama - local food joint galore. Had the laksa which was alright, nasi lemak which was forgettable and red bean dessert. Still I prefer Laksa Shack or Jusco's nasi lemak.

Teapot cafe, SS2 - this establishment has been eluding me all the while due to its opening hours (not on sundays and dinner time). One weekday on leave got me here. But turned out an overall unpleasant experience. It was after 1 pm, peak hour, I guess, but coupled with some ignorant and unpleasant service from the staff, my impression turned off immediately. Despite its small environment, the staff were in the unhappiest of mood and ignoring everyone's raised hands calling for service. Hoping the food would change my mind, it made things worse. Ordered the rosemary chicken (RM18+) which turned out to be a pathetic portion, not even worthy competition to my favorite Kenny Rogers set. The kampung rice of sorts was nothing unique. Last chance was to the acclaimed desserts, but bread pudding fell flat. Still, the caramel pudding was alright. This will be my last time in this overpriced and overhyped of a low morale cafe. Following are pics from my lower resolution phone camera (the place was just too small to whip out my usual digicam)...

Updates-April 2005
A surprise when I received feedback from owner of the cafe Azrina, after posting a negative comment on my experience in friedchillies She seems willing to undo and rectify the issues being faced. Kudos to her in trying to take up the matter. Perhaps, one day then, we'll see how this place turns out.

Hot Bun cafe, TTDI (same row as Pizza Hut or Maxis) - running out of choices once agian, stopped over this quiet corner in TTDI for lunch. Tried some recommendations eg. Mee siam, Assam fish rice, butter and peanut butter hot buns and fried buns with brown sauce. I think all were so so really, nothing to shout about or worth a second try. Was pretty dissapointed with the hot buns considering that's supposed to be their signature seller (like Roti boy). Oh well....

Pantai Seafood restaurant, Kg Sg Ara, PJ - another branch out from Unique Seafood Restaurant in PJ, this location is discrete and a challenge. Off the Sprint highway before the Bandar Utama flyover, a huge kampung like outdoor structure was raised. Passing by few times, it seems to be quite popular contrary to no advertisements whatsoever. I tried it one night hoping for a good meal or review, but turned out lacking. The opening promotional item was the prawns which cost like RM12.80 per kati which every table seems to order. We opt for the butter fried style, which was mediocre despite the huge quantity. Prawn freshness was lacking though... probably frozen for some time... urrghhh. They recommended golden promfret (deep fried in soya) which came out a bombing price of RM42+ (probably that's how they cover back the costs from their slashed down promotional items) and signature salted fish deepfried beancurd (RM8). Overall experience lacking for such a new establishment and one that seems so popular from the outside.

Restoran Tai Sek, Sunway Mas - the only packed taichow restaurant in new Sunway Mas district, I had to check this place out despite the long wait for our food (30mins). Considering the new district's circle of shop lots are one-way streets, this place is not a sure miss as one will definitely pass by it, searching for food options here. Ordered a greedily big amount of dishes eg. mayonnaise mantis prawn, deepfried tilapa fish (fei chow yee), prawn fritter, vege soup and deep fried 'salted fish minced pork'. All in all cost RM48 !!!! Is that a steal or wat? The fish alone was really worth the money... RM10 and with so much meat. Definitely will be back for more.

Updates :
Had a takeaway and again, lots of new dishes to try out.

	Pork knuckle was huge and drenched with sweet thai sauce, not too bad. But skin was tough, not as crispy as I'd liked it
	I had to have the RM10 fish again. Can't pass up on this possible limited offer

Living Food Restaurant, Damansara Uptown (same row as Fajar) - specialises in lam mee and sui kow/fishball/etc., this 2 floors shop space was packed. Seeing that its aircon and popular, I gave it a try one hot sunday afternoon.

	Lam mee was tasty and the most popular order
	Fried sui kow was really tasty, better than OK restaurant IMO
	Dry noodles was one of the many options to go with the fried/soup stuff
	Fried foo chook in soup was the weakest.... preferred it crispy instead of dipped in soup

2004 - Non-malaysian food

2005-04-20T15:45:00.000+08:00

Zakuro, Plaza Mont Kiara - more japanese cuisines are popping here and there. This place overall was tasty, but slightly higher than my previous Hartamas ventures. Lacks as much variety and ideas unlike Hartamas and Damansara Perdana's offerings I had in the past.

Bukhara, Lot 137, First Floor, Suria KLCC - reading a positive review from the Star offering cuisine from the silk road (china to europe), I was curious about this quiet establishment (even after opening for months) and decided to brave thru it with my reluctant colleagues. The prices were bombastic, thus explaining its quiet niche. Tried the signature Bukhara Polo rice, which was served out looking like those western soup bowls with bread pastry covering its top. Breaking thru the pastry was wat look like Briyani rice and chicken. Going at it together with the served curry and yoghurt vege, I seem to think it similar to Briyani except for different spices and aroma, perhaps. But whether I'll pay RM20+ for such an experience again, nope.

Kim Gary Beyond, Avenue K (opposite KLCC/Wisma Central or next to KLCC MRT) - another HK restaurant for the masses, one would think food choices is already saturated enough in KLCC, but wrong, this place is packed to the brim since day one. And to think that the Avenue K shopping center is not even officially opened and shops remain vacant. Queues are common sight, people waiting for their no. to be called. The set lunch choices are good and various... ranging from A to Z. I 've personally queued many a day and tried most of the sets ocasionally repeating my chocies. My favorites are set C (shanghai style deep fried pork chop with vege rice) , I (shanghai style honey roasted spare rib with vege rice) and Q (mushroom and shredded pork rice with fried egg). The sets are RM10.90++, comes with choice of 2 soups (cream or minestrone) and coffee/tea. Of course, there are the usual alacarte stuff eg. baked cheese rice, french toasts, etc.. Quite a nice change of tastes (non-halal) after months of depressing choices within this area.

	Set Q - Mushroom and shredded pork rice with fried egg, this is the tastiest set so far. I've recommended to friends and they were surprised. Yummy.
	Set comes with choice of cream or minestrone soup and coffee/tea
	Set I - shanghai style honey roasted spare rib with vege rice, meat was slightly tough but overall experience is good.
	Egg with boiled milk - this sounded interesting, thought it was those HK dessert soups (dan dan) but turned out to be a cracked egg in hot milk.... urrghh u think?
	HK toast - the usual, sweet and sinful.
	Set M - Deep fried chicken with mushroom rice with fried egg, this set is similar to set Q except different meat. Very tasty
	Set S - Hot and spicy noodles with pork chop, I found this portion super huge. Soup was too garlicky for my liking. But if you have big appetite, go for this ample portion of meat and noodles
	Mango snow mountain (RM5) - nice dessert, just nice in taste

Manhattan Fish Market, KLCC - another franchise seafood restaurant, neck to neck competing against Fish & co, which is almost similar in concept and menu offerings. Still, after trying out this place, I still prefer Fish & co, for its unique tastes and more mediterranean flavors. The platters here come in 2 choices ie. fried or grilled. I thought the garlic rice in both platters paled in comparison with Fish & co paella rice.

U-village HK restaurant, rear end of basement Sg Wang Plaza, in a discrete location, this place still packs it in surprisingly. Tried the macau fried rice and salad prawn fritters. The former was tasty and interesting, while the latter was common and nothing new.

Fish & co, LG350 Lower Ground Floor, New wing, 1 utama shopping center (77224928, www.fish-co.com) - swordfish collar 2 pieces of chunky and juicy swordfish collar, fried and served with spicy mango vinalgrette (RM24.90), seafood platter for one award winning platter of seasonal fish, calamari and prawns (25.90)

	Grilled Seabass cajun style, simple and tasty
	Seafood platter for one, great assortment of prawns, cuttlefish and fish with wonderful paella rice and chips, delicious.

Sri Ayutthaya, 3 Jalan Setiapuspa, Medan Damansara, KL - A dinner affair, decided on this place for a change instead of the usual chinese dishes, since this place looks good in its 3 storey glory from the Sprint highway. Deco inside was the balinese/thai/wooden theme.... but I kinda dislike the smell of the termite treatments surrounding the place. Service seems attentive and prompt, but I laud any establishments which uses foreign workers. This place was totally run by probably burmese/indian men/women. Not that I'm a racist but in the food and service industry, communication and understanding is very important..... these foreigners are never 100% up to that standard. Lo and behold .... due to communication breakdown, I had some complaints eventually. The manner the waiter/captain recommended and described dishes was unconvincing and boring. Still, I picked his recommendations ie. deep fried fish rayong style (RM45), Fried fish cake (RM24 for 12), Steamed assam thai fish (RM45), claypot prawn (RM98), tom yam soups (RM9.90 for each person), kerabu glass noodle (RM10), kerabu mango (RM10), thai roast chicken (RM28), green curry chicken (RM15), pineapple rice (Rm12), Lotus root thai style (RM30), juices (average RM5 each), white rice (RM1.50 each person). Total bill RM480 for 9 persons. Now... my complaints..... I always hate restaurants which throw expensive what-nots to you when asking for recommendations, not that I don't trust these dishes or hate expensive delicacies but if only expensive means nice, then I'm at a one-time-experience kind of place ie. he recommended scallops as first dish!! Scallops in a thai restaurant? C'mon, if I wanted scallops I would go to a proper seafood restaurant. He continued to recommend stuff like soft shell crab and stuff that wasn't even on the menu ... which I personally hated such a principle. Are these items not on the menu just to catch people unaware of their prices? After ordering, I had second thoughts about the quantity of the food.. I thought it was too much and had to recheck with the captain again.... the captain insists that the portions were just right. Still, I had to cancel the otak otak (which was 1 piece for each person). When the dishes start filling up the table, I knew the captain was ignorant .... there were more than we expected. I could have excluded another dish or 2!!! Knowing the nationality of the staff, I decided not to waste my time arguing and complaining, half knowing that I'd be frustrated trying to explain to them in slow-motion english. Secondly, the dishes came out mostly spicy... much to the contrary based on his words. I had wanted a balanced meal.... some spicy and some not. Thirdly, my wife had stomache aches the whole night.... was it the tomyam or the prawns which I thought was powdery in texture at times (not fresh?). Overall, I feel this is just another hyped-up touristy kind of establishment... if I just want reasonable thai food, I'd just go to SS2's Sri Siam. The tastes here are nothing to shout about, we are only paying for the environment.

	Kerabu mango - nice and refreshing, mango was just right.... not too sour.
	Fish cakes - was tender and juicy. Some complained they were fishy, but I thought it was ok.
	Kerabu glass noodle - like the mango, nice.
	Claypot prawns - this came a shocker to everyone. Not only was the claypot huge but the prawns were super big, straight away came to mind was 'How much would this cost' (this was not on the menu and the portion was decided by the captain.... whom I like to strangle, knowingly how I told him about my worry that I ordered too much initially). It didn't taste as good as it looked. I expected sweetness, but the taste was kinda smoky-like.
	Lotus root was normal... not sure what thai style means in this dish
	Deep fried fish was alright, have tasted better. The other steam fish (no picture) was also mediocre.
	Green curry chicken was again mediocre.

17th Street, 3rd floor, BB plaza, KL - another HK restaurant for the masses, the first impression of the taste was good based on recommendation of staff. Had the 'Minced Beef and Fried Egg Spagetthi' (RM7.90).... very aromatic and tasty.... in fact, had this twice in 2 occasions.... must try cooking this at home. Tastes seem simple yet so fulfilling... probably lots of butter and cheese. On another occasion, had the Wantan noodle in soup (RM6.20).... which is so common in Malaysia, but lo and behold, I was surprised at its taste and quality. I can't say if I ever enjoyed wantans before, hard to describe but the wantan content was full and just right. The soup was tasty and the special noodles was smooth and silky. Overall, superb.

Daimon Okonomi Yaki / Chiku Ho Ramen, Ikano Damansara, LG floor - looks promising from the outside, considering I did miss okonomiyaki and a good bowl of soba from japan. Upon sitting down, I slowly start to realise the reason why the place wasn't that popular despite its very-japanese look from the outside. Service is lacking resources and a smile.... slow. Ordered a supreme okonomiyaki ($15), prawn gyoza ($6) and tenshin ramen (RM12.90), green tea (RM1.50!!! isn't this complimentary?). Overall, average and student standard. What was confusing in the end, it turned out that place was run by 2 different restaurants (which looked like one at first but upon looking up at signs, obvious).... thus the chaotic ordering and lack of service. Ventilation is bad inside, due to the teppanyaki sizzles. Will try another such concept store in Atria next, heard good things about it before... wonder if it's still there... hehehe.

	The supreme was not as tasty as I used to remember my first experience in Japan, so I asked for mayonnaise (it didn't have it served) and more of the dark sauce. Mayonnaise costs $1 !! They did boost up the taste level but no points for the natural taste.
	Gyoza was smaller than it looked in the menu and tasted normal...no big deal.
	Soba soup was like those cheapo non-maggi-brands seasoning, otherwise generouos portion with omelette and dark sauce similar to the style of okonomi yaki.

Cafe Melise, No.16, Ground Floor, Jln SS22/25, Damansara Jaya (77263289) - was featureed in a Star article and regarded as a budget western place... so I gave it a try. The chef/owner was outspoken and for sure, he'll be guiding you thru the menu and orders from start till the end. His voice is booming and many patrons seems taken aback at first at his level of friendliness and 'chin-chai-ness'. So, be prepared for upfront conversation... hehehe. Well, the concept here is like a western canteen/cafeteria. The choices are laid out like our local mixed rice ie. in steaming trays and what nots. Patrons are allowed to try the sauces or samples by scooping into little bowls before choosing.... the same friendly chef will ensure you do this for sure..hehehe. Side orders were pork ribs ($39.50) and pasta carbonara ($9). Pasta was.... well, I've tasted better. Price calculation is similar to mixed rice ie. by item, chicken ($6), vege (S3.50), pork ($6.50), meat loaf ($11.50), puff pastry ($3), drinks average $2.80. Overall, it does sound like a budget place, but depends on what you ordered. But given the simple but 'noisy'/busy environment (no deco), warm temperature and not so spacious environment, I may put it on a lower preference for dining. I much prefer Eurodeli or Checkers, though pricier. Still, some enjoyed that home environment, an older couple was enjoying their own wine from home (i guess no corkage)

	Had the cream chicken, puff pastry with some zesty sauce and creamy cauliflower. Sauce and portions were aplenty, tastewise average.... I liked the pastry with sauce.
	Pork ribs were tender and nice ($39.50)
	Wife had the beef stew, meatballs and what nots.

Italiannis, 1 utama shopping centre, New wing - Thinking of having italian one night, this place popped into my mind, after passing by the entrance couple of times before. There seems to be a queue at peak times. Luckily for us, there wasn't one when we arrived. The young usher-girl at the front was friendly and hospitable. But then again, as time went by, everyone inside was friendly and nice. There were waitresses on knees taking orders! I found out later management is from TGIF. That explains their formal introduction prior to taking our orders. The environment inside was cosy and warm....nice. Inside was much bigger than it looked outside. Our waitress was super nice and smiling from ear to ear.... told us that the portions were big so we don't have to order too much. So, we ordered a kids pasta, a pepperoni pizza and stuffed mushrooms (total RM60).... all her recommendations. Sure enough, the portions were huge .... we couldn't finish the pizza and had to doggy pack it. The kids pasta was nice, creamy and nicely textured.... my baby loved it to the max. Pizza was alright (Fasta Pasta's is better). Stuffed mushrooms was very filling as a starter and generous.... taste was very italian (zesty, tomato-ey and big), nice.

Tenka Daiichi Ramen Japanese noodle restaurant, Grnd floor, Wisma Central (21632317, 017-3221331, 016-6886299) - a popular place for lunch, especially for people who work around KLCC. Busy wisma central is just one of those typical office lunch alternatives.... building is old, inside is dim and not-so-clean looking... typical govt building type. So, if you manage to navigate its narrow and dim corridors and find this place, you will see people waiting for table space here. A small shoplot of sorts, with space for max. 20 or so. But, foodwise.... ramen here is considered the best I tried in PJ/KL so far (but still worse off than Japan's).... given the bad choices I've tried before (1 utama or KLCC food court). Pictures show a ramen set with gyoza costing only $8.90, with green tea ($1).... an affordable lunch. Most on the menu are at this price range.

EatDonut, Wisma Central - Fried doughnuts, can you believe it? I didn't at first and was very skeptical till I tried their samples and it caught me by surprise. Crunchy, not oily and tasty.... very filling too. Comes in various types eg. original, honey, pandan. Other offerings like yam balls, chocolate ones, etc... interesting. Think they are looking for franchisees. Will they become the next Rotiboy or Seremban Siew pau success? Time will tell.

Hachiban Ramen, Lower Ground Floor, 1 utama, new wing - a bad excuse of a japanese ramen restaurant. After being in Japan for 2 months, I never knew Japanese use bamboo shoots for ramen soup. This one does.... and I hate it. As far as I know, Thais use it a lot. My wife and I just don't like the smell and taste of bamboo shoots in soup, it's just so skanky.

Sugimoto Japanese Restaurant, 36-1 & 38-1, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 KL (Tel: 03-23001102/1202 or bangsar 22836961) - been a while since I've been to the Hartamas shops area and my gosh, it seems to becoming a little Korea/Japan. There are korean/japanese restaurants in every corner. Geez, there is even a Korean style chinese restaurant !! Anyway, decided to try out this place situated upstairs. Was pleasantly surprised with the spacious area upstairs. However, found the smoking section to be wrongly biased..... as this was where the private booths were.... the open tables area was the non-smoking section. Typically, young smokers were huddled inside puffing away. I think it should be reversed.... non-smokers should be the ones hidden away from the smokers. Private rooms with tables were at the back. The menus were extensive and overwhelming.... so much to choose from. Pictures throughout helped a lot in my selection. Waiters were helpful and full of recommendations.

	Salmonzzz.com (RM55) - Combination of sliced fresh salmon sashimi, begal roll (crabstick, cucumber, avocado, mayonnaise topped with cream cheese & sliced fresh salmon) & 5pcs of Nigiri sushi. Sashimi was not as fresh and jelly, as per Kampachi's but who's complaining... check out its price for such a spread.
	Ei Hire (RM15) - grilled stingray fins with spicy mayo dip. A great snack to go with any alcohol, tastes and feels like bbq squid... nice.
	Chikuwa Isobe Ag (RM16) - fried fish cake with seaweed flakes bed with salad (nice cheese dressing). Was expecting the typical fishcake but no... there was like an actual fish fillet like roll in each tempura like batter. Nice.

Update (24th December 2004) - a xmas eve dinner, I had the luck of being sitted at the private booths near the entrance... very comfy and private except for walk-in guests passing by now and then.

	Kanburi (amber jack) RM45 - superbly fresh and jelly like.
	Spider roll (RM20) - crabstick, cucumber, avocado and soft shell crab topped with shrimp roe and sauce.... lovely.
	Kami Nabe (RM28) - cooked paper hot broth. The special paper holding up the soup contents was uniquely fire proof and water proof.. The soup was light and tasty. Great as accompaniment or appetizer.
	Shima Aji (RM 53) - japanese mackerel was equally fresh and tasty
	Yaki Onigiri (RM8) - burnt sticky rice ball, accompanied with pickles and other dishes, this was quite a different and unique taste play.

Kampachi Restaurant, 1st floor, hotel Equatorial, Jln Sultan Ismail (03-21617777) - an ever popular place for all-you-can-eat-japanese buffet and queue-ing patrons on weekends, I decided to treat myself to a proper ala carte meal in a private tatami room. Overall, I wasn't too pleased. Firstly, the menu was not complete, as most of the time, the waitress was recommending items not on the menu. And being in such an upmarket place, I was being careful and questioning about the price first. This made me uncomfortable of course.... luckily I was in a private room. Still, I think the waitress is bad at recommendations. I was asking continuously instead of her giving me suggestions non-stop. At one time, there was talk about Kobe beef. Luckily, I didn't order as upon her showing me a small/medium piece of kobe steak, it could have cost me a whopping RM450!!! Anyway, lots of items on the menu was shocking.... most of the chef's recommendations/creations were above RM100 a portion. Even the little menu with pictures of sushi and maki stuck onto the table top did not have prices and upon asking again, each sushi (mind you, I'm not saying each roll, it's each piece) cost a lot. Tuna belly sushi cost like RM60 a piece!! I was beginning to feel like a tourist and being cutthroat throughout. My mind kept wandering off to other cheaper places, even Genki Sushi... hehehe. Still, it's a one-off experience, I can tell other people about ... hehehe.

	Sichimi tofu (RM9) - an appetizer and a refreshing tofu with salmon flakes. Not on the menu.
	Kisu Itonesenbe (RM12) - deepfried crispy fish bones, great for snacks and accompaniment to sake. This was not in the menu.
	S'Kanimaki Half (RM27) - crispy and crunchy soft shell crab in a roll, good to eat on its own without wasabi soya sauce. Yummy
	Shake sashimi (RM48) and tai sashimi (RM18) - fresh and juicy, comes with fresh seaweed and greens.
	Ebi tempura (RM36) - well, what can I say, you've eaten one tempura, you've eaten them all. The tastes and texture are as expected. Nothing to shout about.
	Japanese imported melon (RM63 !!!) - this was the shocker of all. The price was mind boggling. Little did I know this cost so much. My biggest mistake for not asking the price prior to ordering based on a waitress recommendation.... underestimated it. It was the last minute order and c'mon, how much can dessert cost, right? Bad, bad mistake. Still, it was juicy, sweet and tender. Right.
	Ginjyo sake (RM80) - easy to drink and is aromatic aside from being potent. Was feeling heavy in the head halfway through (though I'm a reasonably good drinker, I must say so myself). Again, this was not in any menu. The waitress had to bring a few bottles of sake and lay it out in front of me to choose.

Strudels - Lot LG337, Lower Ground Floor, 1 utama, new wing - for tea time, this is a great hideout, an obscure corner away from the bustling crowd noise and loud music/DJ. Had the baked cheese cake (RM6.50) and apple strudel (RM5). The former was alright but better than some of those nightmarish gelatin tangy ones I had before.... still negligible. Prefer Starbucks or Dome's to this. As for the popular strudel, well, let's just say if given a choice, I'd prefer the former. This is just too light/airy and crumbly a pastry, for me.

Pizza Uno,Lot G6, Ground Floor, Centrepoint, 3 Lebuh bandar utama, Bandar Utama (03-77101325) www.pizza.com.my - a popular italian pizza pasta eatery, partially airconditioned in the quiet part of Bandar Utama, off the Sprint highway. Long gone are the days when the portions were generous and the prices were reasonable. Still, due to the lack of choices around Bandar Utama (aside the packed 1-utama shopping center), this remains a popular quick eat. Recently had the Crispy chicken (RM15.50), Margherita (RM13.50) and Giardiniera pizza (RM14.50). The pizzas lacked the dough texture and was not tasty in italian ways (lacked herbs).... overall bland. The chicken was alright but somehow the garlic sauce was not as good as before, it kinda lack the punch (perhaps too watery). A usual downward trend for popular restaurants ie. drop in quality and increase in prices.

Fasta Pasta, G1, Gnd Flr, Ikano Power Centre, Mutiara Damansara - an italian restaurant at the more spacious and upper class shopping center, next to IKEA. A promising looking place packed to the brim on a busy Saturday afternoon, so I decided to join the queue to sample the hype. There was a promotion for family of 4, RM50 for 2 pastas, 1 pizza, 2 drinks and ice cream. Was considering to take up the offer, even though there were only 2 of us! Finally decided to order ala carte which still came out to be RM50+. However, the portions were huge and our stomaches were to the brim. The service was kinda slow in serving us despite us having to make orders at counter (coffee bean/starbucks style). Overall, pricey but good for a change in pasta offerings:-

	Rotelle Fantasia (RM17.90) - an interesting pasta with a strong garlicky taste with mushrooms, herbs and ham.
	Fettucine al Italiana (RM18.90) - zesty and delicious sauce to go with the fine texture pasta
	Herbal bread al Limone (RM3.90) - a nice tasting herbs n spices for starters. Pricey though. But they do give free bread and butter in a basket for free.... should have known better, then I could have skipped this order.
	German cheese cake (RM7.90) - looking heavenly I couldn't resist... but was dissapointed.... again. It was all gelatin and tangy.... nothing cheesy or moist about it.... urrgh.... this has got to be the worst cheese cake rendition ever. I didn't finish it.

Updates (7th November 2004) :

	Fettucine Puttanesca (RM17.90) - the sauce seems to be similar to other pasta offerings in this place, come to think of it. Hard to distinguish one from the other.
	Spagetti Marinara (RM18.90) - choc full of seafood and fat prawns. Have tasted better but in Melbourne St Kilda....hehehe
	Tiramisu - nice but have tasted better in terms of texture and alcohol content

Updates (March 2005) - standard has dropped, sadly. Ordered the ceasar salad and combo pizza. The latter tasted bland and complained, unlike my previous pleasant experience (what happened... did the original chef leave?). Service was good though, they refunded the pizza cost and gave free cake (which didn't taste good. Considering this is the 2nd cake I had here, advice is to pass up on their desserts).

Restaurant Wong Kok Char Chan Teng, No 2 Jalan SS2/67 Petaling Jaya Tel: 0378748611 Business Hrs: Daily, 8am-2am - another Hong Kong cuisine restaurant rising up. Read the reviews from The Star, decided to give it a try for lunch. On Sunday, it was busy and packed. They don't have baby chairs which was unfortunate and irresponsible considering it's a family outlet. Overall, I give this place a thumbs up and my personal preference compared to existing HK outlets in PJ.

	The environment is modern with touches of chinese influence.
	Baked rice with pork chop in twin sauce (RM12.80) was quite interesting. The white sauce was either cream or cheese sauce, couldn't tell 'cos it was kinda light in comparison with the tomato sauce which was tasty. Never could go wrong with baked rice.
	Fried spagetthi HK style (RM7.30) was tasty ie. reminds me of the 'beef fried hor fun from HK' taste. Slightly oily though.
	The drinks are the highlight of the restaurant and I must say very generous and delicious. Most came in tall vases/beakers like this Honey peach passionfruit juice (RM5.50). For this, I'll be coming back for more tastings and trials. This beats the HK outlets at Midvalley and 1 utama.
	The mango milk shake (RM5.50) was huge and deliciously superb. Again, the portion was huge. A dating couple would spend hours sharing desserts in this place... probably why the place was packed, the people were enjoying their drinks for hours like Coffee Bean/Starbucks culture, leaving no table empty.

Update (19 Sept 2004) - Went to the flagship restaurant in old wing of 1 utama to try more of the extensive menu. This time, ordered 'Shredded pork and fried egg with shanghai style vegetable rice' (RM7.30), 'Fried nissin noodle with sliced pork in szechuan style' (RM7.30), french toast (RM3.60) and solitaire juice (RM5.50). The fried noodle was tasty but lacking in texture ie. it was soggy looking. The rice was average and simple. The toast was sweet and sinful. The juice was as usual the best and most generous. Overall, normal experience.... at this point in time, I've had enough of the strange offerings of HK food... will stick back to other asian food next time.... at least until they get baby chairs in this chain (hehehe).... which we non-hesitatingly fedback to the partner of this establishment, who I must say was friendly and ever sociable despite the busy and hectic environment around him.

Breadtalk Midvalley - again never to back away from trying another cheese cake, decided to sample this Light Cheese Cake at home. Costs RM14.90. The texture and moistness was spot on. Unfortunately, the cheese taste was like it's name.... light and almost non-existent.

Starbucks Coffee, Damansara Uptown, 03-77106849 - My quest for the perfect cheese cake seems to be drawing near now as I gave this franchise corner a try of their offerings. Chose the marble cheesecake and american cheesecake (RM8.80 each). Both cakes are better than Secret Recipe's, as they are without fake tangy orangey gelatin tastes. I found the marble cheesecake more cheesier. The american one was not as cheesy but texture was better, more moist and not as dense.

Suchan, 21 Jln Dato Mahmud (11/4), Off Jln University, PJ (79579908 / 79549480) http://www.suchan.com.my/ - was told the cakes here were good and the lady owner was previously from Dome. So, bought the 2 most popular recommendations ie. Tiramisu (RM8.90) and Banoffee Pie (RM8). Well, based on offerings from other places, I must say these are mediocre (nothing special) in terms of taste and richness. If required to choose, I would take the latter again. The restaurant was quiet on a Sunday afternoon lunch time, the menu offers western stuff eg. pasta, meat, etc.. House specialities seem to be Top Hats (RM3), Wild Mushroom soup (RM8), Vietnamese Spring Rolls (RM12.50), Prawn mango salad (RM13), Beef Lasagne (RM15), Alfredo (RM15), Pineapple fried rice (RM14), Laksa delight (RM19), Chicken Mushroom pie (RM18), Parmesan fish and chips (RM18) and White Fungus w/Dates dessert (RM3.50). Time will only tell.

Waffle World, Lot S343A, Level 2, 1 utama (new wing) - thought of having something different for a change... maybe something sweet, so popped into this place. They ran out of the supposedly nice fried seafood pasta, so ordered a mix of American hotdog (RM4), Fish and chips (RM14.90), Fettucine carbonara (RM10.30) and of course, Banana walnut waffles (RM6.80)... all of which are supposedly nice/popular, according to waiter's recommendations. Well, hotdog is normal and no big deal. Fish and chips is reasonable portion and fish batter does taste of old oil, meaty. Pasta was mediocre and non-meat. Finally, the waffle was big but thought was not sinful enough. There wasn't enough sauce, thus too dry. Asked for extra chocolate sauce which I didn't hesitate to drench the waffle all over. Still, overall I 've tasted more sinful dessert.

Mikiojisan No Mise, 11A Ground Floor, Bangsar Village - a chain bakery, hailing from the land of rising sun. Thought I give this place a try.... after all I'm still searching for the ultimate cheese cake. Many cakes with cheese offered here.... so I thought I try the classic (RM12.50) for a whole cake. Turned out to be unsatisfying ie. sponge-like and not rich with cheese.... still prefer the simple one from Le Boheme (2nd pic below). Perhaps I'd try the other fusion cheese flavors here one day.

Vietnam Kitchen, 3.12, 2nd flr, 1 utama, New wing - Was skeptical about this place considering I had not so good impression from SS2 branch. Ordered set A (fried sesame chicken, mango salad, mixed vege, pork brisket in dark sauce - RM39.90 for 4-5persons), platter (RM21.90) and some shakes (RM4.90 each). It was surprisingly good and fast service, perhaps the set dishes were faster ie. precooked. Altogether, a nice meal in a very trendy environment.

Update 13th August - ordered the pork chop rice (RM8.50), sugar cane minced shrimp (RM6 for 2) and beef noodles (RM9.90). The rice was not worth it and a small portion compared to Little Vietnam in Midvalley. Same goes for the measly portion of minced shrimp for its price. The beef noodles was as expected, normal compared to local offerings.... nothing like the ones in Melbourne (Springvale or Richmond).

Updates (March 2005) - left with not much choices in 1 utama, decided to try the other set meals here. Had set B which turned out to be even better than set A... superb, yummy... great for family of 2-3.

Once again, had the remaining set (most expensive one) and was again very tasty...

Little Taiwan bubble house, T023A, 3rd floor, Mid Valley Shopping center (next to Secret Recipe) - as expected from Taiwanese fare, the food is different and unique ie. fun. What to expect from places that serve 'bubble tea', right? Anyway, had the recommended 'Crispy salted chicken set' and 'Spicy taiwanese noodle' and what else, bubble tea. Noodle was weird in taste, but may appeal to spice lovers. Chicken was tasty with the tasty chilli sauce and eggs in dark sauce. All in all... nice and fun.

Chatterbox, 338 LGF, new wing, Rainforest, 1 utama shopping center - Hong Kong style. Always looking out for something new and nice, I decided to give this fresh & trendy partial outdoor/indoor place a try. Located at the rainforest area of the center, it's nice for lunch...not too hot, as it's near to the entrance to the center and cool air is streaming out.
Surprised to see the menu with interesting offerings, mostly reminiscent of my Hong Kong days eg. hot lemon coke with ginger, coffee-tea (yin yang), french toast, etc.. As usual, I ordered those marked as 'chef recommendations' eg. layer beancurd (RM7.50), seafood udon (RM9.50) and chatterbox noodle (RM7.50), HK coffee mix (RM3.50) and coffee mix with redbeans (RM5.50).
The beancurd was excellent, a cold dish, tofu sandwich with meat floss, great. The udon was mediocre. The chatterbox noodles was basically Nissin-Ramen with ingredients (like the HK 'dirty noodles' translated directly from its HK name) which was nice, my wife kept digging into it from my portion. Nissin Ramen?!!! You must be wondering why I'm ordering this when I can make it at home, right? It's psychological...... the alternative mee/mee hoon/kway teow costs less if not equal to the instant noodles. Anyway, Nissin dishes are a hit in HK, especially Mongkok area.
The drinks were rich, different and great for a change from those boring juices/smoothies/soft drinks. Will come back to try others. Much better than the HK stall in basement of Plaza Singapura, for HK food cravings, during those good old Singapore days.
Next, during my second visit, the following were tried and tested. Respectively, the Macau pork chop burger, fried nissin ramen noodle and crispy noodle with cheese/pepper sauce. All were above average.

Umai-Ya, G3A, The Place, Jln PJU 8/5D, Bandar Damansara Perdana - based on The Star's review, I decided to chance upon this place since the feedback was interesting. And sure enough the overall experience was wonderful ... but expensive as expected from Japanese cuisine. The environment within was done up nicely, cozy and modern with many booths lining the walls providing privacy to the diners. At the end of the hall, were few private rooms with sunken floors for diners spending a minimum of RM150. As for me, the booths were sufficient and comfortable enough, letting the tastefully lighted deco consume me. Ordered the following spread of mouth-watering experience...

	Everything had attention to detail, even the wasabi was cute.
	The Dragon Maki (RM20) which consisted of lots of fillings ie. flying fish roll with mayonnaise, fresh salmon, avocado and eel. Each bite was a delight to the senses, crunchy and filled with flavors. And to think this was the first choice amongst the 'Chef recommendations' section of the menu.

	The Unagi tempura (RM15) was excellent for eel lovers. The eel was tasty and tender in cruncy batter, retaining its original flavor.
	Torikatsu bento set (RM18) was as expected, nice. Comes in the best of presentation and quality. Even the fruits were sweet.
	Umaiya Zen bento set (RM35) was complete. Even the little pigeon egg in the middle was present for condimenting. Sashimi was fresh and sweet. There were separate serves of tempura sauce and soba sauce.
	Couldn't resist an additional order of the 'Chef Recommendations' so I ordered War Maki (RM12), which was wonderful. The salmon sauce and the BBQ tastes of the squid within was a tease to the senses, leaving each bite a guessing game to the last drop.

2004 - Local malaysian/chinese/fusion food

2005-04-20T15:42:00.000+08:00

Restoran Chuai Heng, LG floor, 1 Utama - difficult to find anywhere in KL/PJ, my favorite .... 'char leong' ... a hongkong delicacy dim sum. It's basically fried dough fritter wrapped in chee cheong fun and sprinkled with floss and shallots. Yummy.

KLCC foodcourt, 2nd floor, centre court - newly refurbished, some new vendors have been added and increasing the variety. Laksa shack and Yoshinoya (which sucks big time) are amongst them. The nasi kandar is not too bad too.

Vegetarian stall in Wisma Central - cheap. Costs me RM4.50 with soyabean drink.

Restoran Sun Hin Loong, SS2 - Avoid the lobak (tasteless). Below are some varieties that are my favorite orders, as well as satay and hokkien fried mee....

Pudu Yongtaufoo - an old favorite and tucked in a corner of a narrow street, many people make a beeline towards this place, at lunchtime. Airconditioned inside as well as alfresco at road side. My favorite is the chee cheong fun with crispy shallots/shrimps toppings. Aside from that, noodles (dry/soup) can be accompaniment to the yongtaufoo where variety is not too bad (could do with more fried stuff though.. my favorite kind). Claypot variety comes with bakuteh kind of density and herbal taste.

Shangri-la wedding hotel banquet, KL - my first wedding dinner in this hotel, I must say the food was refreshingly nice for a wedding occasion. The four combination was the usual but tasting nice/fresh (not dull), shark's fin was nice as usual (they poured in a bowl of shark's fin in front of us, to prove it was the real deal), the chicken was a nice surprise as the tomyam-like sauce was unique and went well with the crisply cutlets and the rest of dishes were just right (not dull or bland, but fresh and nice). Overall atmosphere and candlelit romantic decor, in the grand ballroom was superbly well-managed and swooning material. Kudos.

Restoran Sri Nirwana Maju, No.43, Jln Telawi 3, Bangsar, KL - a popular banana leaf place. It was raining cats and dogs, and people were still running into the place from their double-parked cars, even a pregnant lady at one point (scary..... what was she or her husband thinking)!! Anyway, had my fill of the rice and fried dishes (the complimentary fried cabbage/onions are my favorite, the chicken is not as good as other places I know, the tengirri cutlet is average) and the maggi mee goreng which was nice for once (hardly any decent maggi mee goreng around these days). Overall, bill with 3 drinks are RM20.20.

Restoran New LimHo, SS2 (aka Chow Yang) - a popular area for food, this area has grown to a concentrated circle of shops with a high density of food outlets. There is a restaurant within 3 shop lots of each other. My favorite stalls in this restoran are the hokkien noodles, penang lobak (the sauce has a fresh tang to it, but the uncle here is very stingy in giving more sauce), the popiah, the satay (always have to wait) and prawn mee.

Boon Tong Kee, 35 Jalan SS2/67, PJ - a trademark name in Singapore for chicken rice, it has reached the shores of Malaysia, strangely enough considering the obvious competition from existing chicken rice operators. Decided to give it a try one night, and was shocked that it did not have aircon.... are the singaporeans holding on to their deep pockets? Nevertheless, gave it a try. Had the white chop chicken for one (RM5), thai fried chicken legs (RM5), pork ribs (RM10) and chee cheong fun (RM2). Overall, very tasty but kinda small in portion. Yet, in the long run it is going to lose out to aircon restaurants offering the same. It remains in the same niche as the non-aircon hawker restaurants.

Tai Thong mooncakes - it's mooncake season and mooncakes can be seen everywhere from restaurants to shopping centers. On an average price of RM10, seems like a buyer's market considering the many competition and varieties from all kinds of suppliers, from restaurants to bakeries to hotels... you name it, they have it..... even Svensens! So, while having lunch at a Tai Thong group restaurant, decided to pick up a few new varieties especially the snow skin type ie. Snow skin yam paste single yolk, Snow skin cheese with green lotus and Snow skin golden lotus with honey dates (RM9 each). Picked up the standard kind as well ie. Golden custard with pure red bean (RM9).

	Snow skin cheese with green lotus - cheese?!! Yes, i know... of all the funny variations selling these days, this is the wildest ingredient possible. Upon trying it as dessert one night, I found this to be quite nice. Don't notice the cheese taste though, but the filling was like a cross between those tau sar piah tambun cookies and the 'lai yau' milky butteriness. The snow skin was a little dissapointing ie. bland and not the chewing gum kind of taste that I like best. More coming up......
	Snow skin yam paste single yolk - not as interesting as the first one, the texture was not as soft, the yam was similar to the ones in bubur chacha dessert, not as sweet. Overall, fun.
	This one was not from Tai Thong. This one was pricey RM23.... as it's from Hong Kong's Kee Wah. Recommended from foreign friend to try this, I had high hopes and was dissapointed. The taste was alright and texture was average... maybe I couldn't tell between textures in the first place but a mooncake is a mooncake... how different can it be right? Well, the price couldn't justify the slight differences anyway.
	Snow skin golden lotus with honey dates - this is another delightful creation and great for sweet tooths. This is my second favorite (after the cheese version). Yummy as dessert.
	Golden custard with pure red bean The least interesting of the lot. Bland taste, considering the fun mixtures prior to this.

Chopstik Noodle House, Mid Valley - a lunch occasion, I've been here a couple of times before. The food is overall average for a upmarket price chinese restaurant, typical of Tai Thong's group of restaurants. Still prefer SS2 Tai Thong for taste.

	One of my favorite dimsum orders ie. salted fritter dumpling. (RM3.50)
	Porkball porridge (RM9.50). Porkballs are quite tasty but should have been more tender. Overall, nice.
	Tofu dimsum (RM6)
	A new dimsum, salad fritter with mayo.(RM3.50)
	Wantan noodles (RM9.50). Still prefer the cheaper offerings from hawker stalls, simple and tasty.
	Chinese sugar cane (RM4) to wash it all down and to balance the fiery food

Update April 2005
Despite their pricey menu and attempt to hide their 'messy noodle house' appearance, they have certain nice offerings which I tend to repeat orders eg. congee, BBQ meat (especially the siew yuk). Still, I would advise to avoid the Plaza Mont Kiara branch as it's more shoddy in appearance and waiters. I very much prefer the Mid Valley branch.

Mmm Yum Yum Bak Kut Teh, Gnd Floor, 1-utama, old wing (near to jusco side exit) - was reviewed in the newspaper and thought I try BKT in an aircon environment for a change. It was half full on a sunday noon, i wonder why. Service was attentive. Prices were higher than the non-aircon regular places elsewhere ie. almost double. I had the small claypot BKT (RM18), 2 servings of You Cakoi (RM6) and dimsum (lomakai RM4 and crispy beancurd roll RM4). Overall, I must say the BKT was nice except for the price (I could have plentiful from my usual place with that kind of price and feed 4 people). The aircon wasn't as cold as I was sweating throughout. Still, a good choice to add to 1 utama's variety. Read Star's review.

	The deco is nice and cozy ie. period drama kind of restaurant.
	The BKT soup was tasty with slight herbal taste.
	The so-called oily rice was basically white rice with fried shallots topping, like some being offered in Klang. The RM3 you cakoi was a dissapointment ie. tasted like bland dough.
	The lomakai was not as tasty as I was accustomed to and was soggy, the fried beancurd wasn't crispy as per its name and tasted like stale prawns.

Unique Seafood 23 Restaurant Dim sum, Lot 9B-3, Jln Kemajuan, Section 13, behind Bkt Bintang Primary school, PJ (79602088/79602066) - Went for 10-course dinner in this big restaurant (stacked with aquariums on one side), on a weekday. It was half packed despite a cut in the electricity supply at that time (unlucky us have to endure no aircon for half hour). The dishes were quite unique and nice. The only qualm we had was that the dishes came too quick, it was meant to be eaten one by one and not rushed. Overall experience was alright considering the attentive service given. Corkage was free so wine drinkers will have a ball.

	A sight to behold, rows and rows of aquariums filled with all kinds of seafood, to be picked fresh. Great for children's distraction.
	Seafood seems to be fresh and replenished daily, as we got a chance to see new stock of lobsters unloaded from cartons to the aquariums. Interesting to see that lobsters are shipped that way.... the cartons are only filled with paper fillers, no water or ice !! All they had to do was dip the lobsters in and out a couple of times from the water, and they are soon moving inside the aquarium. It's a wonder the number of lobsters been replenished or ordered by patrons daily for such an exercise.

Kean Fatt Restaurant - at ss3 near the Taman Bahagia LRT station(near taman megah junction and coffeeshop and post office is on the left hand side after the LRT station) - pork noodles and crispy roast pork is not bad. The pork noodles is a little slow in service due to the cook preparing bowls in batches, I guess he's trying to preserve the freshness and textures of his meat. The tastes is comparable to places I know of eg. Taman Megah foodcourt, restaurant in Jln. Batai, Damansara Heights, etc.

Delicious, Ms Read, F315, 1 Utama, New wing, Bandar Utama - based on feedback from FriedChillies forumers, decided to try this place. The deco is very artsy and modern, the balcony at the back was a delightful escape from the hustle bustle and with a view of a park with comfortable loungers/seats/cushions. Ordered the Classic cheesecake and the Classic chocolate cake (RM8.90 each).

I was hoping I find a good cheesecake but was disappointed. It was similar to those I find from Secret Recipe, LaManila, Coffee Bean, etc. ie. tasting artificial and sweet/tangy... I can't quite put a finger on the taste I dislike... is it Crisco or gelatin? Orange? I find the most natural tasting cheesecake easily available are the ones from LaBoheme (RM8 for a whole round portion).

The recommended chocolate cake was the opposite... it was very sinful, moist and rich (similar to Secret Recipe's Moist Chocolate). It came with vanilla ice cream topping. I wondered if the rest of the offerings were as good as recommended eg. Flourless Orange cake, Banana Pudding, Tartlets, etc.. The pies and quiches on display, were so irresistable and puffy... perhaps another time. There were others on the menu eg. Curry Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Nasi Kerabu, Sandwiches, etc.. Quite impressive, considering the small setup at the back of a women's boutique shop.

Update (1st August): Had the 'sticky date pudding', comes with coconut ice cream and butterscotch sauce.... oooh.... so delicious and flavor-ful. When I said I needed to diet in front of lady boss, she told me something that could help food-lovers out there with a conscience ..... "Diet is die with a T"... hehehehe.

Update (7th August) : Had the real meals for once (with recommendations from staff) and with desserts (ahem) later. Overall, nice and generous... hope they don't reduce the portions or increase price in the future. In the future, will try their other recommendation ie. Nasi pilaf with marsala lamb shank (RM19.90) - basmati rice seasoned with spices served with braised lamb shank, cucumber raita and papadam.

	Nasi Kerabu with Ayam Percik (RM13.90)-an interesting mix of flavors (Kelantan ayam percik, raw ulam, salted egg, sambal budu and keropok ikan with steam rice).... much better than the one served at Laksa Shack.
	Nasi Lemak with Ayam Minang (RM13.90)-nice with generous portion of coconut rice with Chef Sabri's Ayam Minang and fresh condiments (egg, sambal, ikan bilis, peanuts, keropok ikan).
	Tarte Normandie (RM8.90) - crispy base, filled with almond cream, topped with sliced green apples and glazed with apricot jam. Served with vanilla ice cream. This reminds me of a more flavorful version of the bread pudding... yummy.

Restoran Law Ong, 26, Jln Datoh Sulaiman, TTDI - opened not too long ago (May 2004), this place is a breath of fresh air to my food option. This place serves good variety of chicken (oyster, chinese herbal salted, fah dew or emperor... RM9.50 for quarter portion upwards) with noodles in dark sauce (similar to wantan mee.. RM2 each for kosong), sui kow, wantan (RM3 for small), fish ball, kampar balls, curry soup, vege, etc. Very tasty, fast service and aircon. Reminds me of the good old days of Ipoh Chicken Rice restaurant in SS2 (or Jln Gasing) which IMO has dropped standard.

Cravings, GF, new wing, Rainforest, 1 utama shopping center - again in the same shopping center, I'm still at ends trying to choose from the many offerings in this part of the wing. During a Friday lunch time, this place was packed relative to others, so I decided to give it a try seeing the setting was the old nyonya/chinese look which was quite cozy. Tried the recommended 'Curry laksa with roast pork' (RM12.90), 'Stuffed chicken wings' (RM5.40 each!!) and 'claypot loh shee fun' (RM10.90) respectively. Not much single lunch dish was available though. There were more dishes for proper meals which the crowd were lapping up around us.

The laksa was nice as expected, lots of ingredients and soup was full and rich. Chicken wings was nice, the drumlets were cooked similar to 'imperial spare ribs' and the wings filled with fish & chicken meat. The loh shee fun was mediocre though.... still preferred the popular offering from my usual haunt in TTDI.
To end it all, the 'Hainanese iced tea' (RM4.50) was nice.... a mix of tea and milo....but small though. Overall, a little pricey and may lose out to cheaper places with similar concept.

Update April 2005

This place seems to be packing it in during peak hours. Looks like many people have warm up to their taichow menu after many trials and errors elsewhere. After all, their quality seems good and service is prompt. I have yet to order dishes here. So far, it's just noodles. The latest was the Meatball noodles (min sin) which was a good change from the heavy stock/spicy ones offered everywhere else. The meatballs are superb, I just love the meaty and tender tastes. I'd say it's much better than any meatballs I've tried in Chopstik, hawker stalls, etc.

Laksa Shack, LG floor, old wing, 1-utama - all the varieties of Laksa in one place and are tasty overall.

	Nasi lemak instimewa (RM9.90)- generous portion of chicken and condiments to go along with the aromatic rice. Nice.
	One of the best curry laksa (RM7.90) tasted. A mix of aromas and spices with every spoonful and slurping of noodles. Enjoyable to the last drop and morsel.
	Cendol mamak (RM5.50) - generous amounts of cendol and beans. But not as sweet and milky as those from the street stalls.

Uncle Lim's Cafe, Ikano Power Center, Mutiara Damansara - typical malaysian cafe that serves hawker food eg. laksa (RM7.90), nasi lemak (RM7.90), roti bakar (RM1.80), tea/coffee (RM2 above).... similar to Killiney's in Damansara Uptown or Secret Recipe or Penang Village, but only less variety though.

Ikea Cafeteria, Exit/checkout area, Mutiara Damansara - the least likely place to grab a bite, but based on forum feedback, decided to try out the curry puff (RM1). It was nice, comes with an egg and was tasty. Reminds me of 'Old Chang Kee' in Singapore and SS2 (long time back). Right now, the only commercialised puff is from Noni stall (Restoran Hock Seng 2) in SS2/67. Packaged together with a unlimited-refill soft drink (RM2.50), this is good for a good quick lunch/snack.

Jusco 3rd floor, MidValley - my favorite assam laksa and nasi lemak place, cheap and powerful. Portions are generous. My only gripe is the strong smell which tends to stick to your clothes, but then again, that seems to be the case for any place which serves assam laksa.

Lee Nasi Lemak, Bangsar Mamak, outside Hakka Seafood, Opposite, Pizza Piccolo Bangsar
There guys are going to be millionaires one day. Forget the dotCom con, they will probably be richer than most of the dotCom, IPO wannabes and probably sleep better too. With the kind off margins and turnover which they have, the owners of this nasi lemak stall are giving everyone else a lesson in "B2C" !
That's my assessment of this place which proudly sits just off the famous Jalan Telawi Tiga in Bangsar. Low overheads, excellent location, good margins, high turnover, reliable staff - that basically describes this nasi lemak stall just across the road from Pizza Piccolo, outside the main food court.
I was recommended to try this place by my friend after a wild night partying in Bangsar and we were looking for a light meal before calling it a night. He suggested this place and guaranteed satisfaction.
With a small, yellow light bulb for lighting and a few plastic chairs and tables around, these guys were doing roaring business ! Hot plates of nasi lemak were flying off the counter as fast as they could make them. By the side, a giant wok was deep frying chicken and pigeon to be then served along with the nasi lemak.
The process was simple. First, use a small bowl to scoop up the rice onto a banana leaf covered plate. Then, add in the mandatory ingredients such as fried egg, anchovies, cucumber and ground nuts. The spicy sambal is poured over in generous doses before the crispy fried chicken is chopped up and served with bits of the fried batter. Be forewarned - this dish will send your weight and cholesterol level soaring but it is sinfully delicious !
The chicken is fried to perfection, the rice is rich with santan and the sambal sets your taste buds on fire ! Patrons here will normally order an extra portion of chicken and I discovered their secret in making it a success ! The chicken by itself is tasty enough as it has been properly marinated for hours before being fried. The extra "kick" comes when they add on the crunchy bits of fried batter which goes remarkably well with the nasi lemak !
Between the two of us, we finished two helpings of the nasi lemak with fried chicken - not too difficult as the portions are not very huge. The bill came and I was a little taken aback - RM 22.00 for two of us, inclusive of drinks. It's correct, my friend reassured - it's RM 5.00 per nasi lemak ! Even though we enjoyed the meal thoroughly, I guess I forgot that I was eating in Bangsar ! That's the reason why I said that these guys will be millionaires soon - the math is not that hard.....RM 5.00 per person, 250 servings a night, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.....
Was the meal worth it ? Despite the surprising price, I'm still giving it a thumbs up and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a supper place in Bangsar. Forget the expensive coffee joints - try some really good nasi lemak instead !

2004 - Singapore food for xmas and new year

2005-02-04T10:57:00.000+08:00

After a hiatus of 3 years away from singapore, it's now back there for rekindling of memories and catching up and what better time than xmas and new year.

Strange but I kinda feel the food has depreciated in quality during this time, or maybe my taste buds have been atuned to malaysia too much and more fickle but here are some of my experiences.

NYDC cafe restaurant (www.nydc.com.sg), Holland Village - popular chain for desserts (mudpies and cheesecakes), available in places like Wheelock place, Suntec and Holland Village. Me never giving up to find the ever perfect cheesecake, I decided to give this place a try. Hearing that their popular cheesecake seller is the Big "O" cheesecake, I passed on it knowing how mixed flavors on cheesecake is confusing and not authentic 'cheese'. So I tried the 'Ally's new york cheesecake' ($6.10), which turned out to be non-exciting... at least it was not made up from those crisco, gelatin tangy fake tastes...passable. Supposedly made with only Philly cream cheese from the USA and a secret recipe.
That boney cake ($8.95) - french vanilla ice cream with elmer fudge (aka ugly cake) and all chocolate accessories.... a sugar rush for sure. This reminded me instantly of Malaysia's Ms Read's first experience... rich and sinful.
Hot chocolate elephancchino ($5.95) - nydc's supersized hot chocolate, made with yummy Hershey's chocolate sauce. Topped with whipped cream. A rich hot cholocatey drink that kept me weight-conscious throughout the night.
Saw lots of newspaper/magazine reviews framed up on the walls, one caught my attention...titled 'Best cheese cake'. Glancing upon it, seems like the 2 most mentioned names for cheese cake are Hilton and NYDC. But many have missed upon the superb ones from Moxies in Clarke Quay, Hyatt Regency, Mortons of Chicago in Marina square, Triple 3 restaurant in Mandarin Singapore, Black Angus and Salut Restaurant. Well, looks like these locations will be my targets on my next trip.

Coffee club, 3rd floor new wing, Paragon shopping center - friend recommended me to try the cheese cake here. And sure enough it was better than NYDC, richer and just right. Sinful it was not.

Prego's, Swissotel Westin Hotel, City Hall MRT- a popular pasta italian restaurant in the past, I think the crowd has left this place of the past. Not surprising though, as my christmas dinner was nothing to shout about, considering after the many comparisons I bring from Malaysia which are much better IMO. The pasta was raw and not tender to me. Still, the honeydew with sliced porsciutto was as expected, sweet and yummy.

Island Cafe, 4th floor, CK Tang, Orchard Road - a quiet restaurant at the highest floor of the newly refurbished shopping center, this was nicely tucked away at the baby department section. The menu was a mix of asian and western fusion mix, interesting. I had the asian platter and black pepper tanghoon.

Chin Wah Heng seafood, East coast - my usual favorite in the past, had it many times before. But unfortunately, times have changed. Cooks must have changed or something amiss... the food was bland and inexcusable.
Sweet sour/spicy crabs was so bland, I think the cooks left out some sugar, salt or spices. Dipping the fried mantaos were totally unexciting like it used to.
Deepfried cuttlefish yu tiao was still ok... dipped in with the rojak-like or mayonnaise sauce was still a treat. Well, like I say... can't go wrong with deep fried food.Mussels was another unexciting dish... missable. Prawns were fresh. Still, I much prefer them deep fried (can't appreciate steamed dishes). Still, the place was packed and with queues. Well, dun be fooled by appearances.

Silver shell cafe, Rasa Sentosa Shangrila Hotel, Sentosa island - a new year's eve dinner costing a whopping $65++ per head, it was a no-choice decision on such a day where every restaurant was capitalising on the festivities. So, I filled my stomach to the brim from appetizer to dessert for 2 hours! Here are some of the buffet selections that I gobbled. The quality was good and satisfying.

Crystal Jade shanghai/szechuan cuisine, Suntec City fountain area - within these 3 years, Crystal Jade variations have popped up everywhere. We see crystal jade restaurants for steamboat, HK cuisine, chinese dishes, korean, china cuisine, etc. in all the popular shopping centers. Anyway, back to the selections I've tried. The noodles are really to be missed.... urrghh... they are just too spicy or pungent for my liking. The char-chian-mian was just too much black bean paste. It's ironic that my first char chian mian was in Korea and tasted the best ever.... and to think this originated from China. Anyway, however, the dim sum was nice. The fried dimsum and banana/red bean puff was superb. The siow lung pao was nice and explosive in one's mouth... there was no meaty smell which I despise.

Shihlin taiwan street snacks stall, basement, Plaza Singapura - a long queue was forming and noticing newspaper article reviews stuck on their counter, I had to join in this new sight's curiosity. Of course, I ordered all 3 items on the menu. The 'handmade oyster mee sua' ($3) was a little weird... a mix of Oh-chian and sweet sour gravy tastes. The 'crispy floss egg crepe' (RM3) was nice... light and tasty... but then again, anything with floss can't go wrong... hehehe. The XXL crispy chicken ($3) tasted boring compared to its preparation and appearance. This was the favorite for the queue and the newspaper reviews though. It was just like any fried breadcrumb with peppery seasoning.

Scotts Foodcourt, Scotts Shopping center, Scotts road - a popular food court to both young and yuppie. The name was so popular that it was brought over to KLCC foodcourts. Some stalls have changed due to changing economies and tastes. Gone is my favorite indian stall Komalas which serves prata and boms and the fried chicken chain stall (Carona chicken). Still there, was my wife's favorite beef noodles (which till today, I dun understand her obsession with this. She had 2 helpings within this 1 week of stay, one before we left for the airport!). My choice was a mistake... a wantan la mian from a new taiwanese stall.... it was bland and uninteresting, much different from its picture on the stalls' signboard menu.

Angie's choice, basement, Paragon shopping center - a favorite must try is the durian roll or puff. My whole hotel room was filled with durian smell, just by eating it in seconds! The whole roll is filled with durian meat. The mango roll was filling and refreshing too.

Nooch, basement, Paragon shopping center - a usual haunt but originated from Wheelock Place, I had to retry the standard of this place again. As expected, the standard has dropped. My thai spice rice was not a motivation for more to come. I think KL has set a new bar for food in asia.

Sanur, 4 th floor, Takashimaya shopping center - a popular indonesian restaurant. With not much choices around Orchard Rd for dinner, decided to retry this place. Ordered the usual and popular Tauhu telur, fried chicken and gado gado. Tauhu telur was expectedly nice but the rest were boring. Chicken was bland. Gado was light and alright. Wife complained the combination was too dry with rice. But then again, looking at the menu and the other diners' tables, all dishes were mostly dry. The avocado chocolate drink was sweet and thick, not my liking (wife's).

Wines from basement Paragon shopping center - Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2004 ($35+) was a nice medium bodied white, great for my friend's steamboat lunch. Tomasello Wine's blueberry wine ($35+) was a refreshing sweet change in wine. Recommended for fun.

Introduction of my tastebuds

2004-12-04T13:02:00.000+08:00

This is a log about the food around me, tried and tested... mostly Malaysian. Some are regular haunts and some are one-off. I'm a food lover, especially the street or junk kind ie. not the classy ones. Take note though, I'm not the adventurous kind who will drive for hours or into quiet towns/streets for the secret food, although I don't mind being chauffeured there.... which I've had a fair share eg. Kerry Island for seafood, Segambut for cheap dishes, Sri Kembangan for hakka yong tau foo/paper wrap chicken/pan mee, Klang for bak kut teh,etc.. In the end, I go for the easy to find or accessible kind, mostly around Petaling Jaya area. You'd notice that some locations are without names but are only described as to their whereabouts... strange how such names are usually eluded ... that's how it is in Malaysia most of the time, hehehe....most tend to know the locations or how to get there but name-wise unsure of. But then again, names do change thru time ie. different owners or people relocate.

For recommendations, I sometimes visit Friedchillies and its forum... my nickname used is 'pixel8'. Or reviews from local newspaper, The Star and Cyberkuali.

My blogs will be divided up into categories and constantly updated within ie. I will not create new posts unless a new category is required.

My personal favorites or regulars are :-
Wee Sang Kee, SS2/66:
for the best Bak Kut Teh (since my childhood days), despite numerous claims for other places in Klang or Sg Way and negative feedback from friends. I just love the thick soup and special rice to go with the meat. It's a mix of slight herbal and dark sauce, not peppery. I've tried Sg Way's (peppery) and a few in Klang (no special rice except for butter rice and/or fried onions).

From outside.	Closer view of the front.
The tasty thick soup and juicy meat	My favorite 'oily rice', without it, I will not eat.
Must have... chopped fried dough-sticks	Chopped chilli of sorts with soya sauce... condimentary....yes!

Tai Thong restaurant, 1st Floor Jalan SS2/67:
favorite dim sum, selection is normal and quality is average (like the street kind). No expensive stuff like in hotels, just the normal expected quality in aircon chinese restaurant environment with quick service. Find this better than the Summer Palace near to Damansara Kim/Sprint highway.

Hong Seng restaurant, section 17 marketplace area, Corner restaurant, next to Magnum/Sports toto):

Best roast pork (siew yuk), the original skinny, buttery and thin crispy skin kind ie. not the kind sold in markets or the chunky ones from roast pigs of chinese celebrations. The supply is limited, a little later than 1pm and it's almost gone. This is the kind which was available everywhere in the hey days but have gone south without a clue... probably lost the chain of supply. The chicken rice stall also sells very good Sour Vege (SHEUN CHOI), the kind made at home from leftovers and overnight ingredients.... a hit with women.

The sour vege stew... a mix of assam, dried chilli, meat and vege

Seng Kee, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (behind Shakeys Pizza or Secret Recipe, Tun Mohd Fuad 1):
Claypot 'loh shu fun' is their specialty and originated from their KL branch. As well as 'fried crispy pork noodles'. They serve dishes as well for those looking for a normal 'tai chow' chinese meal.

Now for a variety of restaurants relating to my favorite food categories.....

Roast duck

RESTORAN SUNRISE,31 Jalan 21/1,SEA Park
HOPPY RESTAURANT, SS2/66 - different kinds of roast duck eg. classic, herbal, etc.
Name-unknown, section 17 marketplace area - corner shop, specializes in duck

Chee Cheong Fun and Yong Tau Foo

YHK Seafood Yong Tow Foo, 45, Jalan Brunei Barat, 55100 KL (near Wisma Shaw) Tel : 21489220 www.yhk-yongtowfoo.com - nice chee cheong fun ie. with fried shrimps and shallots sprinklings, I can eat at least 2 plates to go with the crunchy yong tau foo and fried sui kow/wantan. Thank god, they had a branch opened in Damansara Uptown (No.31, Jln SS21/56B, Damansara Utama, PJ tel:77108131) and in an aircon environment. It's next to 'The Ship'.

Nasi lemak

Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa, 4 Jln. Raja Muda Musa, Kampung Baru, KL (03-2931358)- must try the fried chicken- opened at nights till early wee mornings.
Dharoos, Damansara Uptown - good tastes of mixed offerings eg. roti, simple nasi lemak (sambal, peanuts and rice) and maggi goreng
Deli terra, 3rd floor, Jaya jusco mid valley - quite generous portions of sambal and curry chicken.
Laksa Shack, LG flr, 1-utama
Madam Kwan's, KLCC or Bangsar

'Tai chow' restaurants

OK restaurant, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (next to Penang Village) - decent dishes in nice corner outdoor area, frequented by japanese and expats staying nearby
Restaurant Keen, SS20/11 & SS20/3, Damansara Kim, opposite end of Euro Deli - nice dishes with new variety (ask for recommendations), but may be hot due to indoor setting. This place also has claypot chicken rice stall and dim sum stall which I frequent quite often. The former serves quite tasty claypot rice (pic) and popular 'Sour vege stew'.
Restauran Yau Tak Teng, Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, opposite Secret Recipe/next to Guardian - this place is not spacious though and can be quiet smoky. Still, the crowd packs it in.
Pangkor Curry Fish Head Restoran, 59, Jln SS24/8, 47300 Taman Megah, PJ (opposite Fatty Crab).... popular for the curry fish head, this is an alternative to Fatty Crab customers who couldn't get seats. This place has more variations and options for crabs than Fatty Crab ie. marmite, sour spicy, kam heong, etc. Other offerings are nice too eg. pork ribs and prawns. However, the service here is slow though at peak hours ie. an hour of waiting.
Ah Sau, Jalan 223, PJ (I think... it's originally from KL).... popular for the hokkien fried noodles. Also try the the Fish glue soup too, it's soft and tasty
Golden Bowl seafood restaurant, SS2/61, 03-7876 7228 - opened in February 2004, this corner lot caught on fast, queues were showing every night. So, one early night, I decided to try it out hoping to beat the queues (which I did). Airconditioned but not enclosed, the environment is clean and cool. Not reading the newspaper clippings of reviews and praises, on the walls, I decided to ask the waiter dreading to hear the same old offerings of chinese dishes. I was surprised when every recommendation sounded unique and tempting. I was ordering whatever the waiter mentioned eg. prawns deepfried with salted egg in spicy sauce (RM40), beancurd(tofu pre-minced with vege RM12), pigeon (RM6) and kailan with toppings (RM15)... sorry about the inaccurate names but these are my own unprofessional descriptions. The service was fast considering a packed crowd... my wife and I couldn't stop to speak a word, the second we started digging it except for nodding and opening eyes wide with glee. Thumbs up from me.... caught glimpse from neighbouring table giving thumbs up to each other too. Bill was RM91, on the high side but it's about quality and satisfaction. Will come back again to try their signature dishes (from the newspaper reviews) ie. lamb, pork knuckle, yin yang prawns, tofu with gingko, etc..

Some of the common and popular noodles easily available at the above 'tai chow' places are :-

	Hokkien fried meehoon mee
	Cantonese fried yee mee
	Singapore fried meehoon

Hawker stalls/coffeshop/restaurant

Seng Lee restaurant, Jalan Batai, Damansara Heights - famous for the char kway teoy and pork noodles. The former has generous portions and contributes greatly to the smoky atmosphere in the restaurant, but nobody seems to mind including expats who stand there patiently for their takeaways. The latter stall gives generous unhealthy portions of lard, but then again, unhealthy food always tastes better, right? The rojak stall at the entrance/road side is also very popular, their portions are humongous for RM3. Lots of peanut sprinklings and crunchy biscuits & yu tiao.
Yong Len restaurant, Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 1, TTDI - not too busy and hot corner restaurant offering nice choices of prawn mee, laksa and wantan mee. Nearby roadside rojak stall is very popular also, with small queues now and then.
Jaipur curry house, Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 1, TTDI - my favorite roti canai place on a Sunday afternoon. Airconditioned recently. Serves nice aromatic floury roti kosong (my favorite, amongst other fancy roti variations. Nothing can beat the simple aroma of a perfect roti canai.... it's so good on its own, I don't need curry actually... (sounds like gardenia?!) Sometimes has nasi lemak panas, the simple kind ie. roasted peanuts, ikan bilis, egg and sambal with coconut rice. I love to mix the sambal with my roti's dhall and fish curry... yum. The curry puff is super too. The fried chicken and fried batter bittergourd are great with the roti. All in all, RM15 could stuff 2 persons till the night. A worthy alternative place is Dharoos at Uptown Damansara.
Penang village, 1 Lrg Rahim Kajai 13, TTDI - a recent hit chain of restaurants with nyonya & penang offerings in an oriental/nyonya/chinese fusion environment ie. high class hawker restaurant (that's how I describe to my foreign friends). My usual orders are prawn mee, char kway teow (RM7.90), ice kacang (RM5.5)/ chendol and assam laksa. Ordering the nyonya dishes for a proper meal is also nice. Choosing the 'recommended' choices will be a sure hit eg. Chicken kapitan (RM13.90), samosa, brocolli and prawn (RM14.90), Cincalok omelette (RM8.90), Yin yang Garoupa (RM48). Lunch crowd is to the brim compared to dinner.

	Penang curry mee (RM7.90) - not too bad, but still prefer the stronger and more fragrant version from Laksa Shack.
	Village pie tee (RM8.90) - had a little too much shrimp for my liking ie. overshadowed the turnip tastes.
	Penang nasi tomato (RM11.90) - the tomato rice is not as fragrant and sweet as I hoped it would be, but overall, the samosas, papadams and chicken rendang was a nice mixture of tastes.
	Mango ice (RM5.90) - Looked nicer than it tasted, probably lacked syrup, condensed milk or something. The taste was light, probably too much ice. Mango and ice cream was alright. Jelly and sago was for color, as they contributed no additional taste.

Champs, 1st floor, Centrepoint, Bandar Utama - a pub cum mixed-local-food restaurant, which gained popularity because of the big bowl prawn mee with ribs and big prawns. Another high-class hawker food restaurant in my vicinity.
Restoran Sun Hin Loong, SS2/67 - Good corner of SS2, where shops and food are aplenty. Good varieties include the prawn mee, nasi lemak, kampar ball noodle, dim sum, mixed rice. Situated next to another coffeshop behind it, Hock Seng Two (which has good wantan mee, curry puff, siew pau and curry laksa), this has a better advantage by having few tables in the open air.
Restoran Lim Ho, SS2/67 - Another good corner of SS2, where shops and food are aplenty. Good varieties include the prawn mee, Ipoh chee cheong fun, popiah, vegetarian mixed rice, fried noodles and Tong Kee egg tarts. Situated next to Gluttons corner, it has some tables in the open at night.

Pan mee

Restaurant Mao Tuck Teng, Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL (corner of shop block next/opposite to KFC)
Restaurant Megah Good Luck, SS24/11, Behind Fatty Crab, Taman Megah, PJ - tasty noodles with that flour fragrance and anchovy aroma, prefer the dry version.

Satay

Restoran 'Satay Kajang' in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, same row as Honda (used to be Naza Motor)

Wantan mee

Ho Weng Kee, SS2/66, PJ - specializes in wantan mee, with different meat choices eg. chicken feet, char siew, pork ribs, chicken shreds, etc.

Char Siew

Meng Kee, Tengkat Tong Shin, the road behind Jln Alor (not Jln Bkt Bintang side), KL - the burnt and sticky type but leaner. Very popular and crowded during lunch and weekends. No dinner served.
Soo Kee, Jln Ampang, row of shops near to the Ampang Point interchange - the burnt and sticky kind of char siew

Hokkien fried noodles

Ah wa, 66, jalan 14/48, pj (the corner coffee shop behind the shell station on jalan 222) - the burnt taste and dark kind, on the dry side.
Restoran Lim (aka Chow Yang), SS2 - lots of people order aside from the hawker varieties

Malaysian delicacies/street food
The following are the rare delicacies being found around PJ except for morning markets and pasar malams (SS2). Gone are the days where these were delicious and easy to find, but now, very selective.

The 'Ham Cheen Peng' or chinese fried donut/pastry is best eaten fresh. That's why some popular stalls have queues waiting for the freshly fried ones eg. stall in front of Chow Yang (SS2) and front of Restoran Keen (SS20/11, Damansara Kim).

Seremban siew pau - a franchise business, the stalls are everywhere eg. SS2, Taman Megah selling the sweet and savoury delight. Over the years though, the pau's size is shrinking while costing RM1 each.

A rare sight these days, a multipurpose goodies van carrying all sorts of buns, tidbits, sweets and stuff.

What's new and coming soon...

2004-11-10T23:59:00.000+08:00

New Web Links/Resources in Klang Valley

Foodies n friends - organizes gourmet tours, outings, classes, dinners, etc.

Places/food yet to try out
Restoran Mei Yen, No.39, Jln 20/7, Paramount garden, 0129-2298566 (7pm onwards) - hokkien mee, stewed pork chops yee mee, fried rice, fried clams, kow yoke/stewed pork, otak otak and grilled fish, popiah and lobak (penang style)

Restoran Friendz, No.3 Jln SS26/6, Taman Mayang, 7806330 - dim sum and tong sui

Room service deliveries, 62012400 or info@roomservicedeliveries.com (RM50 min order)

Muller, Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 1, TTDI - similar to Eurodeli it seems

Cheese - Blue cheese, Manchego cheese, aged Gouda cheese, Havarti cheese, Port Salut, more spanish cheese.... so many flavors to fancy, a whole palette for me to experiment in time to come with fruits and wine.

Chef Loong Cuisine, SS2/60 - Dim sum
Unique Seafood 23 Restaurant Dim sum, Lot 9B-3, Jln Kemajuan, Section 13, behind Bkt Bintang Primary school, PJ
Cakes - rockafella pattiserie - ttdi; la manilla - ttdi; celicakes - desa sri hartamas; alexis bistro - bangsar; cocomo - bangsar; cheesecake shop - sunway

Knick knacks, snacks and foreign stuff

Cheese (with reference to Ilovecheese.com and cheese.com)

	Emborg Havarti cheese - From Denmark, this was creamy and buttery, a delight to nibble at. This has got to be the easiest and tastiest to date.
	Rosenborg Blue cheese - From Denmark, this will be a challenge to me as I did remember way back, that my first taste of stinky or fungi-laden cheese was horrible and a sour/salty experience. So this will be my last confirmation. Review will be coming up soon.
	Manchego cured in Fresh Rosemary herb - from Cold Storage Bangsar. Hard cheese. Tasty and great with wines by itself (check out my wine experiences in 'Happy hour' post) or in a sandwich.
	Kameruka matured cheddar cheese - slight bitterness at first but fruity flavor, nice with wine.
	Happy cow salmon flavor cheese - nice on its own or with crackers

Penang

2004-10-20T18:26:00.000+08:00

Updates from Star newspaper :-
Best char kway teow - either Lorong selamat stall (evening) or Sisters char kway teow at Macalister road

Best banana leaf rice - Passions of Kerala at Burma square

Best nasi kandar stall - Kayu nasi kandar outlet at penang road

Best chicken rice - Fatty Loh at Fettes Park

Best ice kacang - stall at Swatow lane (afternoon tea time), across the road from corner coffeeshop.

Best fruits - tropical fruit farm in Teluk Bahang (fruit juice bar)

A collection of food haunts for each and every category possible (good or outdated, you can comment)

CHINESE
Ah Thooi Mee Suah (Vermicelli with Duck Drumstick soup)
a) Roadside Stall at Jalan Sungei Pinang infront of Boon Siew Honda workshop
Bak Chang*
Roadside stall in Swatow Lane (afternoon)

Bak Kut The*
Carnation coffee shop, Gurney Drive for breakfast and lunch;
coffee shops along Dato Keramat Roadin the evenings;
and street stall in Rangoon Road beside Lai Lai Supermarket in the evenings.

Ban Chean Kuih (Chinese Pancake)
a) Ah Kee Chinese Pancake, stall beside coffee shop at junction of Taman Sri Nibong and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah - night only Tel:012-482 1077b)Cart beside Chartered Bank - afternoon c) Cart in front of General Post Office - afternoon (Muslim)

Beef Koay Teow (Glutinous Flat Noodles in Beef Soup)
a) Lebuh Victoria Bus Terminal hawker complex

Char Tung Hoon (friend glass noodles)a) Ang Hoay Lor Restaurant, Jalan Gurdwara

Char Kweh (carrot cake) – Alan’s
New lane hawker stall – near sunway hotel

Char Koay Teow (Fried Glutinous Flat Noodles with prawns, cockles)
a) Sisters at Jalan Macalister (near junction of Jalan Macalister/Jalan Perak) –morning to noon*b) Lorong Kulit/Jalan Dato Keramat junction - nightc) Lorong Selamat stall opposite coffee shop - afternoond) Ah Hoe Char Koay Teow , junction Jalan Carnarvon/Lebuh Melayue) New Asia Coffee Shop, Air Itamf) Pulau Tikus Market - nightg) Song River Cafe, Persiaran Gurneyh) Lebuh Kimberley – night*i) most hawker stalls serve good char koay teow (Gurney drive, Lor.Selamat, New Lane)*j)
Halal (Muslim) stalls
a) Rudy's at Tanjung Bunga Hawker's Complex opp Copthorne Hotelb) Stall at Jalan Chee Seng, Tanjung Bunga - night only

Chee Cheong Fun
a) Coffee Shop at Lorong Macalisterb) Jalan Baru / new lane
Chendola) Stall at junction Jalan Penang/Lebuh Keng Kwee, beside Joo Hooi Café / Opposite police HQ, off Jln Penang / Kek Seng, Penang Rd
b) Stall at Super Komtar foodcourtc) Sar Chew Restaurant, Jalan Cantonment

Chicken Broth
a) Padang Brown Hawker Complex, Jalan Anson

Chicken Rice (Hainan)
a) Fatty Loh
- Tanjung Bunga, opp. Chinese Swimming Club
- Jalan Cantonment, Pulau Tikus, opp Maybankc) In front of Agora Hotel, Jalan Macalister
b) Coffee Shops (several specialists along Lebuh Chulia)
c) Kheng Pin Coffee Shop, junction Jalan Sri Bahari/Jalan Penang
d) Poly Cafe, Jalan Burma, Pulau Tikus

Curry Mee (known as Laksa in KL - Yellow Round Noodles in Curry Gravy with cockles, prawns, cuttle fish, pig's blood, toupok)
a) Bee Hooi Coffee Shop in Lorong Pulau Tikus/Jalan Burma junction (Pulau Tikus) - morningb) Cathay Cafe, Jalan Burma (opposite Union Primary School) - nightc) Sin Nam Hong Coffee Shop at Komtar second leveld) Lorong Kucinge) Lorong Seratus Tahun*( off Macalister Road in the mornings)f) Lorong Swatowg) New Asia Coffee Shop, Air Itam*h) Stall at Jalan Loh Poh Heng, Hillside, near Esso petrol station afternoonDim Suma) Bee Hooi Coffee Shop, Jalan Burma/Lorong Pulau Tikus junctionb) Hong Kong Tea Garden, 162-164 Jalan Macalister, opposite District Education Office
* from tourism website :-
a) Shangri-La Hotel’s Chinese Restaurant in Georgetown (pricey but first-rate);
b) Tho Yuen at 92, Campbell Street;
c) and coffee shops along Chulia Street, Kimberly Street, Gottlieb Road and Golden Thai at Gurney Drive.
d) Evening dim sum: Coffee shop in Kampung Malabar off Penang Road and Chulia Street.

Ewe Char Koay
a) Popular Stalls, Lebuh Cintra

Fish Head Beehoon
a) Sky Cafe, Lebuh Chulia

Hum Chin Peng (Chinese "doughnut")
a) Cart at Lebuh Kimberley/Lebuh Cintra junctionb) Popular Stalls, Lebuh Cintra

Hokkien Mee (known as Prawn Mee in KL - Yellow Round Noodles in Prawn Soup)
a) Coffee Shop junction of Jalan Burmah/Jalan Cantonment - morningb) Crystal Food Garden, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, near to Sandy Bay Beachcomber - eveningc) Sin Kim San Coffee Shop, junction Jalan Macalister/Jalan Rangoond) Coffee Shop several doors to the left of Midtowne Hotel, Jalan Macalistere) Song River Cafe, Persiaran Gurney - night onlyf) Swee Kong Coffee Shop (opp. Pulau Tikus Police Station) Jalan Burmag) Coffee Shop at Jalan Perak/Jalan Kebun Nyor junction
Hokkien Chara) Bee Hooi Coffee Shop, Jalan Burma/Lorong Pulau Tikus junction

Hoo Wan Tung Hoon (glass noodles with fish ball, soup)
a) Garden Inn Hotel, Jalan Anson - set lunch

Ice Kacang (shaved ice with beans, etc.)
a) Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Jalan Penangb) Low Eng Hoo Coffee Shop, Lorong Selamatc) Lorong Swatowd) Lebuh Keng Kwee/Jalan Penang junction

Ipoh Koay Teow (bean sprout chicken)a) Jalan Air Itam

Joo Hoo Eng Chai (cuttle fish and vegetables)
a) Song River Cafe, Persiaran Gurney

Koay Chiap (thick glutinous noodles with duck meat soup)
a) Air Itam Market - night

Koay Kak (Fried Steamed Glutinous Rice Cubes)
a) Coffee Shop, Lorong Macalister - morningb) Air Itram Marketc) Jalan Anson Market

Koay Teow Th'ng (Glutinous Flat Noodles Soup with fish balls, pork strips, pig's blood)
a) Hai Oan Coffee Shop, Jalan Burma, near junction of Lorong Macalister - morningb) Side Lane between Jalan Hutton/Lebuh Dickens (opp Police HQ) - morningc) Jalan Argyll (opp back of Island Girls' School) - morningd) Jalan Hutton (opp Sek. Pendidekan Khas) - morninge) Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Jalan Penangf) Lorong Swatowg) Roadside Stall junction of Lebuh Beach/Lebuh Market

Laksa (Large Round White Noodles in Fish Gravy: Assam Laksa - sourish variety; Siam Laksa - spicy hot variety)
a) Air Itam Market (next door to the famed Kek Lok Si Temple)*b) Balik Pulau Market (corner coffee shop opposite the T-junction leading into the main and only street of Balik Pulau)*c) Kuala Jalan Baru, Balik Pulaud) Helena's Laksa (franchise) at Bukit Jambul Shopping Complexe) Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Jalan Penangf) Kheng Pin Coffeeship, junction Jalan Sri Bahari/Jalan Penangg) Lorong Selamat off Macalister Road*h) Lorong Swatowi) Swee Kong Coffee Shop opposite Pulau Tikus Police Station, Jalan Burma

Lok Lok (skewered seafood dipped in boiling pot of water, served with gravy)a) Esplanade Hawker Complex - night b) Padang Brown Hawker Centre, Jalan Anson/Jalan Perak junction c) Pulau Tikus Market

Lor Bak (Fried Minced Pork Sausage in Dried Beancurd Covering)*a) Coffee Shop at junction of Lebuh Carnarvon/Lorong Melayub) Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Jalan Penangc) Kheng Pin Coffee Shop, junction Jalan Sri Bahari/Jalan Penang
* - from penang tourism
a) New Lane coffee shop off Macalister Road in the evenings;
b) Sisters’ coffee shop off Macalister Road, near Perak Road junction from 9:00am to 3.00pm;
c) Lorong Selamat;
and Gurney Drive.

Nasi Lemak
a) Garden Inn Hotel, Jalan Anson - set lunchb) Johnny's, Pulau Tikus Marketc) Swee Kong Coffee Shop (opp. Pulau Tikus Police Station) Jalan Burmad) Potbless - 2 Lorong Hutton; 1-Stop Midlands; 98 Lintang Mayang Pasir 2

Nyonya Dishes (kiam chye boay, joo hoo char, otak-otak, acar raveet, perut ikan, asam prawn, asam pedas and curry kapitan).
a) Jaws at Gurney Drive;
b) Hot Wok, Gurney Plaza; and
c) Nyonya Secrets, Service Road.

O' Chien (Oyster Omelette)a) Coffee Shop junction of Lebuh Carnarvon/Lebuh Kimberleyb) Coffee Shop Junction of Jalan Macalister/Lorong Selamat - eveningc) Ocean Green Restaurant, 48F Jln. Sultan Ahmad Shah Tel:226 2681d) Song River Cafe, Persiaran Gurney - night

Popiah (Mixed Vegetables and Crabmeat in Thin Pancake Covering)a) Coffee Shop junction of Jalan Macalister/Lorong Selamat - eveningb) Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Jalan Penangc) Wah Leong Coffee Shop, Jalan Burmad) Lorong Swatow

Rojak (cut fruits in prawn paste)a) Van outside Poly Cafe, Jalan Burma

Sar Hor Fun (Fried Glutinous Flat Noodles and Beehoon with Pork and Seafood)a) Coffee Shop junction of Jalan Macalister/Lorong Selamat b) Coffee Shop in front of Penang Jail, Jalan Datuk Keramat c) Coffee Shop junction of Jalan Burmah/Jalan Nagore d) Foo Heong Restaurant, 56-58 Lebuh Cintra Tel:261 2350 e) Sky Cafe, Lebuh Chulia

Satay (Chinese) (barbequed skewered meat - Pork, Chicken)a) Coffee Shops junction Jalan Penang/Kampong Malabarb) Lebuh Cinac) Kheng Pin Coffee Shop, junction Jalan Sri Bahari/Jalan Penangd) most coffee shop stalls
e) Relau (Indonesian satay – Alan’s)

Seafood Broth/Pork Brotha) Roadside cart at Lebuh Chulia, opp Lorong Cinta - nightb) Coffee Shop in front of Penang Jail, Jalan Datuk Keramat

Wantan Mee (Thin Round Yellow Noodles with Prawn Dumplings - Soup or Dried variety)a) Jalan Burma (in front of Union Primary School) - night onlyb) Swee Kong Coffee Shop, opp Pulau Tikus Police Station, Jalan Burma / Corner coffee shop in Pulau Tikus opposite Church of the Immaculate Conception in the mornings*c) Coffee Shop opposite Lai Lai Supermarket, Jalan Burma - eveningd) Coffee Shop, junction of Jalan Anson/Lebuh Melakae) Lorong Selamatf) World Cafe, junction Jalan Nagore/Jalan Bawasahg) most coffee shop hawker stalls (Gurney Drv / New Lane)*
Yong Tau Fooa) Padang Brown hawker complex - evening

INDIAN
Mee Goreng/Mee Rebus (Fried/Boiled Round Yellow Noodles)
a) New Asia Coffee Shop, Air Itamb) Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Jalan Penang - Chinese Mee Rebusc) Lorong Swatowd) Coffee Shop junction of Jalan Burma/Lorong Bangkoke) Larut Cafe (beside Sheraton Hotel) - formerly at CRCMurtabak (Indian 'roti' (bread) filled with minced mutton or chicken over hot plate)a) Hameediyah Restaurant, Lebuh Campbell

Nasi Kandar
a) Craven A Cafe, 4 Jalan Dato Keramatb) Stall behind Immigration Dept. and Penang State Assembly building, Lebuh Lightc) Kassim Nasi Kandar, 14 & 21 Jalan Gurdwara, opposite Gama Supermarketd) Kedai Kopi Merlin, 1 Lebuh Penange) Sabuhan, Jalan Burmaf) Lebuh Tamilg) Line Clear, junction of Jalan Penang/Lebuh Chulia

Pasembor (various fried seafood in water chestnut salad – Indian and Chinese variety)a) Persiaran Gurney - evening (Indian)b) Padang Brown hawker complex - afternoon

Roti Canai
a) Hameediyah Restaurant, Lebuh Campbellb) Indian stalls at Jalan Transfer (beside the mosque), Jalan Argyllc) most Indian coffee shops/stalls

Tosei
a) most Indian coffee shops, especially along Penang Street, Market Street, in the morning

MALAY
Rice and Malay Dishesa) Tanjung Tokong UDA Flatsb) Hawker Stalls opposite Mar Vista Resortc) Hawker Stalls around Penang Parkroyal Hoteld) Junction of Jalan Kelawei/Jalan Jonese) Hawker Stall opposite Sheraton Penangf) Larut Cafe beside Sheraton Penang,
Satay (barbequed skewered meat - Chicken, Mutton or Beef)a) most coffee shopsJAPANESEa) Crystal Food Garden, Tanjung Tokonga) Winston Hawkers Centre, Jalan AnsonVEGETARIAN
Chinesea) various coffee shops in Jalan Transfer, Jalan Kedah, Lebuh Pitt, Jalan Magazine
Indiana) various coffee shops in Lebuh Pasar, Lebuh Penang, Lebuh Queen, Lebuh CinaInternational Cuisine IN

HOTELS
CHINESE
BERJAYA SHARKSFIN, Berjaya Georgetown Hotel, Jalan Burma, PulauTikus Tel:226 9680CANTON PALACE, Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Persiaran Gurney,Georgetown Tel:226 9988FU LING MEN, Cititel Penang, Jalan Penang, Georgetown Tel:3701188GOLDEN LOTUS, City Bayview, Georgetown Tel:263 3161GOLDEN PHOENIX, Hotel Equatorial, Jalan Bukit Jambul Tel:6438111HOUSE OF FOUR SEASONS, Penang Mutiara Beach Resort, TelukBahang Tel:885 2828HUA TING, Copthorne Penang, Tanjung Bunga Tel:890 3333MARCO POLO, Garden Inn, 41 Jalan Anson, Georgetown Tel:227 9167SHANG PALACE, Shangri-la Penang, Jalan Magazine, Georgetown Tel:262 2622SHANG COURT, Shangri-la's Rasa Sayang Resort, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1811TAIPAN FINS, The Northam All-Suite Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Georgetown Tel:370 1111TAI THONG, Paradise Beachcomber Hotel, Tanjung Bunga Tel:890 8808

INDONESIAN/WESTERNTIFFINS, Penang Parkroyal Resort, Batu Ferringhi

ITALIANIL RITROVO, Casuarina Beach Resort, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1711LA FARFALLA, Penang Mutiara Beach Resort, Teluk Bahang Tel:885 2828PEPPINO, Shangri-la's Golden Sands Resort, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1911THE VIEW, Hotel Equatorial, Jalan Bukit Jambul Tel:643 8111

JAPANESEGION, Penang Parkroyal Resort, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1133THE JAPANESE RESTAURANT, Shangri-la's Rasa Sayang Resort, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1811KAMPACHI, Hotel Equatorial, Bukit Jambul Tel:643 8111KIRISHIMA, Cititel Penang, Jalan Penang Tel:370 1188
MALAYELIZA THE MALAY RESTAURANT, City Bayview Hotel, Lebuh Farquhar Tel:263 3161KOPI TIAM, City Bayview Hotel, Lebuh Farquhar Tel:263 3161

WESTERNEAST 'N' WEST, The Northam All-Suite Hotel, 55 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Georgetown Tel:370 1111FERRINGHI GRILL, Shangri-la's Rasa Sayang Resort, BatuFerringhi Tel:881 1811STONEGRILL, Waterfall Hotel, Jalan Utama Tel:229 5588THE BRASSERIE, Shangri-la Penang, Jalan Magazine Tel:262 2622OUTSIDE

HOTELS
INDONESIANTAMBUAH MAS, 560-564 Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Sg. NibongTel:656 9722ITALIANLITTLE ITALY, 8J Jalan Tun Dr Awang, Bukit Jambul Tel:642 1301MARIO, Ground Floor, Ferringhi Mutiara Arcade, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 3775MODESTO'S, Bellisa Row, Jalan BurmaRISTORANTE BELLA ITALIA, 1-7 Bellisa Row, 368 Jalan Burma Tel:227 2195GERMANWUNDERBAR, 417 Jalan Burma Tel:2291095JAPANESEAKEBONO, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1263MATSUKI, 62 Cantonment Road Tel:229 5504MIYABI, 216 Jalan Macalister, Georgetown. Tel:228 8803SHIN MIYAKO, 103A Jalan Penang Tel:263 8702SUSHI KINGa) Bukit Jambul Shopping Complexb) Midlands Park, Pulau TikusSYOGUN, Grd. Floor, Axis Complex, Jalan Cantonment Tel:228 3228TEPPANYAKI JUNCTION, Desa Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong Tel:899 0800YATAI MURA, 403A, Grd. Fl., Jalan Burma, Pulau Tikus. Tel:222 6018KOREANSAM OH JEONG KOREAN RESTAURANT, 64 Jalan Cantonment Tel:229 4461 (SetLunch RM9)SEOUL GARDEN, 1st Fl., Sunrise Towers, Persiaran Gurney Tel:2298705THAID' CHIENGMAI, Burma Close Tel:227 2400NAM PRIK, 14 Jalan Tengah, Bayan Bahru Tel:641 5281THE GREEN CHILI, 1, Jalan Sungei Kelian, Hillside, Tanjung Bunga. Tel:890 8727 - promo 5 to 18 July, Thai dessert complimentary for dinner.PLOY THAI, 11-G-1 New Bob Centre, Jalan Gottlieb Tel:229 5911YELLOW LIGHT, 1C Jalan Fettes Tel:899 1471Specialty RestaurantsChinese• 747 CAFE, YMCA Bldg., 211B Jalan Macalister Tel:229 6228• CLUB ILHAM, Junction Jalan Macalister/Jalan Utama Tel:229 7506• CORNER CLUB, Persiaran Gurney• CRC RESTAURANT, Chinese Recreation Club, Jalan Victoria Green, Georgetown.• DRAGON INN, 27B Jalan Gottlieb Tel:2277049 • FOONG KIM CHEONG RESTAURANT, 1228R, Mk13, Jalan Paya Terubong. Tel:828 5643• FORUM, L-3 Island Plaza, Tanjung Tokong Tel:899 0088• FULL SUN 600cc HOUSE OF DAIRIES, 12 Concourse 4, Komtar• HOLLYWOOD RESTAURANT, 543 Tanjung Bunga. Tel:881 1404• MANDARIN GARDEN RESTAURANT, 33 Anson Road Tel:227 0300 - functions only• MAPLE GARDEN, 99 Jalan Penang Tel:263 4158• MAPLE GOLD, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah Tel:227 9640• MAY GARDEN, 70 Jalan Penang Tel:261 6435• MIDLAND'S COURT RESTAURANT, 1-Stop Midlands Centre, Jalan Burma Tel:226 7788• NEW GOODWILL RESTAURANT, 2-01-19 Harbour Trade Cente, 2 Gat Lebuh Macallum Tel:263 3823• STARVIEW, 66 Jalan Burma Tel:226 5213• TAIWAN LITTLE CHEF, Midland Park Tel:226 6871 MBf Countdown Card Member 10% discount• TOWER CHINESE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE, Level 59 Komtar, Jalan Penang Tel:262 2222Chinese/Local/Western• 600CC RESTAURANT,a) Komtar Tel:261 3373b) Komplex Bukit Jambul Tel:646 3373MBf Countdown Card Member 10% discount• EVE'S GARDENIA RESTAURANT, 15 Lorong Hutton Tel:263 7263• ADAM'S TERRACE, 11 Lorong Hutton Tel:263 3762• EDEN SIDEWALK CAFE, 78 Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1193• LOKE THYE KEE, 2B Jalan Burma Tel:292 0046• RESTORAN MERRYLAND, 20 Jalan Tengah, Taman Tunas, B. Lepas Tel:643 2448MBf Countdown Card Member 10% discount• POPULAR FERRINGHI, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 3454• POTBLESSa) 2 Lorong Hutton Tel:263 7984b) 98 Lintang Mayang Pasir 2, Bayan Bahru Tel:641 2976c) Grd. Floor, 1-Stop Midlands Centre, Jalan Burma• SA CHEW, 37B Jalan Cantonment Tel:228 0488• THE SHIPa) Jalan Sri Bahari Tel:263 3551b) Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 2142• VICTORIA STATION, 17 Lorong Mayang Pasir 5, Bayan Lepas Tel:642 5988• SIN KHEANG AUN, Lorong Chulia Tel:261 4786• HOLLYWOOD RESTAURANT, 543 Jalan Tanjung Bunga Tel:890 7268• ANG HOAY LOR, Jalan Gurdwara Tel:262 4841• JAIPUR COURT, 11 Lebuh Leith Tel:263 0306 MBf Countdown Card Member 10% discount• KASHMIR, 105 Jalan Penang Tel:362 7411• PASSAGE THRU INDIA, Tanjung Tokong• TANDOORI HOUSE, 34-36 Lorong Hutton Tel:261 9105• ARATI VILAS, 9 Tanjung Bunga Park Tel:899 1379• INNIRA, Taman Tun Sardon• DAWOOD, Lebuh King Tel:261 1633• HAMIDEEYAH, 164A Lebuh Campbell Tel:261 1095• RESTORAN FTZ, 6A-G/6A-I, Jalan Rumbia, Sg. Nibong Kecil Tel:6461286 MBf Countdown Card Member 10% discount• Minah Restaurant, 362S Sungai Gelugor Tel:658 1234• AUNTY CHILLI'S NYONYA RESTAURANT, Jalan Perak• CHI-KI NYONYA RESTAURANT, Jalan Burma• DRAGON KING, 99 Bishop Street Tel:261 8035• HOT WOK, 125D Desa Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong Tel:8990858• NYONYA CORNER, 1-4-01 Persiaran Bukit Jambul 1, Sri Relau Complex Tel:641 3231• COCA THAI, L-3, Island Plaza, Tanjung Tokong Tel:890 6808 MBf Countdown Card Member 10% discount• ET STEAMBOATa) 7M Jalan Gottlieb Tel:226 1767b) 4 Jalan Rangoon Tel:226 6025c) 20 Taman Sri Tunas, Bayan Lepas. Tel:641 3015• GOH HUAT SENG, 59A Lebuh Kimberley Tel:261 5811• GOH SWEE KEE, Jalan Sri Bahari Tel:263 6932• GOLDEN GATE STEAMBOAT, 77 Jalan Cantonment. Tel:226 7509• KAM RESTAURANT (beef steamboat), 27C Jalan Gottlieb• BEGINNING OF THE WORLD, Batu Maung• EDEN SEAFOOD VILLAGE, 69A-B, Batu Ferringhi Tel:881 1236• END OF THE WORLD (Ah Sim), Teluk Bahang fishing village Tel:8851189• HAI CHOO HOOI (Tanjung Tokong Tua Peh Kong Temple), 338 Mk. 18 Tanjung Tokong Tel:899 0375• KUAIKUO LE SEAFOOD, 205 Blok K, MK 12, Batu Maung Tel:626 3027 MBf Countdown Card Member 10% discount• OCEAN GREEN, 48F Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Tel:226 2681• SHUANG HUAT SENG, 418 Jalan Sungai Tiram, Bayan Lepas• YELLOW POINT, 486 Mk2. Teluk Bahang. Tel:229 2314• FOR YOU YEN VEGETARIAN CENTRE, 347-349 Jalan Datuk Kramat Tel:229 3078• HAPPY REALM VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT, Jalan Burma Tel:227 1918• HOCK SIEW CHAI VEGETARIAN CENTRE, 110E Jalan Transfer, 10050 Pg Tel:228 0629• IM SIM VEGETARIAN, 14 Jalan Mayang Pasir Tel:641 4615• TZECHU-LIN VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT, 229C Jalan Burma, 10050 Pg Tel:226 3357• ANNALAKSHMI, Temple of Fine Arts, 1 Babington Avenue Tel:228 8575• NUTRILAND VEGAN HEALTH FOOD CENTRE. 11 Jalan Rangoon, 10400 Penang. Tel:229 2910 preservative free, chemical free, msg free, aspartame free, colouring free, pesticide free, plant based, no genetic engineered food

Gluttons unite in Penang's foodie haven
Throw dietary caution to the wind as you join the quest for great food and outdoor dining
LET food be your mantra the next time you set out for Penang, a hawker's paradise. Even if you spend 10 whole days on this exercise, you will not quite complete the hawker crawl on the island, once billed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohammad as Malaysia's food capital.
Forget big-time restaurants and hotel eateries and go for the hawker fare.
Why not start with breakfast, along busy Jalan MacAlister, where an unpretentious kedai kopi called Ping Heang nestles among colonial mansions and shophouses.
A small cart serves as workstation for the popular Sisters Char Kuay Teow, a business run by the Lam siblings, Yoke Khee and Miew Heng.
'We took over this business from our father, who started it 60 years ago,' says Madam Lam Yoke Khee, as she heaps generous helpings of crabmeat and giant prawns on the noodles.
A signboard over the cart says 'Sisters Char Kuay Teow'. Extra Quality - RM5 (S$2) - this is the deluxe version, topped up with crabmeat.
The shrimps and other ingredients for the noodles are delivered fresh to the stall, saving the sisters the time and effort of marketing.
A regular customer has this to say: 'Sure, you can get it cheaper elsewhere, but I am willing to pay more for the fresh ingredients.
'I've still not found char kway teow as tasty as this elsewhere on the island.'
If fried noodles is not your idea of a breakfast meal, try Thniah Cheng Hai's lor mee or Hokkien mee instead.
Mr Thniah Ah Hai and his wife Lim Mooi Moey's fame have spread beyond the island as they have been guest chefs in hotels in Singapore and Kuching.
You can tell how fresh the prawns are the minute the steam from the bowl of noodles hits your nostrils.
'We shop for our ingredients daily and need to be up at 5 am to select them at the market, as well as cook the broth and prepare the ingredients,' he explains.
Foodies can take their pick from chicken legs, lor bak (braised pork) or otak otak sold at the coffeeshop, which opens from Tuesdays to Sundays from 8.30 am to noon.
Those who prefer Malay food can head to Jalan Jones - off Jalan Kelawai, in Pulau Tikus - a popular haunt of politicians and journalists.
Even tourists who stay along the Batu Ferringi tourist belt make it a point to sample these curry puffs.
The deep-fried curry puffs come with very generous savoury fillings of chicken (RM1), beef (60 sen) or sardine (60 sen). One is usually enough for light eaters as an in-between snack.
An assortment of Malay kuih, roti canai, and nasi lemak (with a spread of scrumptious curries for you to pick) is available.
If you have a 'karipap' craving for tea, take a drive to Jalan Tanjong Tokong and stop at No. 90, where Idris Karipap serves piping-hot curry puffs with either chicken or beef filling, mixed with potatoes. The pastry is light and perfect to still that minor growl from your tummy and keep you going till your next meal.
But Penang is not just food, food, food and nothing else.
It is also the perfect place to indulge in some shopping.
The heritage-rich shophouses in Georgetown showcase some really good finds which are not found in shopping malls.
Check out Penang Road, where Chinese arts and crafts abound - crisp cotton, linen and organza pillowcases, cushion covers, hand towels and fabrics of various hues and textures.
Pick up a length of Chinese silk fabric to make either a blouse or add class to your living room with a silk lampshade.
Further up on Penang Road, make a left turn to Lebuh Chulia for some nyonya cakes at Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay.
This family business, located off Lebuh Chulia, is run by Mr Mok Hian Beng and his wife.
They supply sweets and savouries, such as springrolls and curry puffs, to restaurants and hotels on the island.
'My father started this business over 60 years ago. Today, we are one of the few remaining nyonya cake suppliers on the island,' Mr Mok says. 'I took over the business in 1980 when my father died and my other siblings showed no interest.'
Lebuh Chulia is also home to many of the dying arts which are no longer found in other parts of Malaysia.
Visit rattan furniture maker Wong Kar Chong at Yee Hoe and Company and watch him make bamboo chicks and rattan furniture.
Alternatively, mailbox-maker Khew Kim Pang at Ban Hin Store can share stories of the early days of Penang's postal service and how letter boxes came about.
No trip to Penang is complete without a meal at Gurney Drive, the promenade along the seafront where foodstalls - either in pickup trucks or carts - brim with terrific food. Just ignore the flies.
The pungent aroma from the sotong bakar, Penang's best rojak, the classic assam laksa, pasembor and ice kacang are some of the favourites found here.
A recent addition to Gurney Drive is Kafe Crepes, which describes itself as the ultimate pancake and ice-cream parlour.
Located on the grounds of a quaint colonial bungalow, it serves 30 varieties of pancakes and crepes. The long wait is worth every second as baker Agnes Chee whips up your order.
The banana pancake, sprinkled with sesame seed and raisins, is highly recommended, along with the garlic-and-chicken crepe.
Still on desserts, a very unusual find is Joo Lai Hieng, a Chinese prayer store, which also sells Chinese treats at its entrance.
Joss sticks and paper, candles, wicks and other paraphernalia form the backdrop for a cart where ang tao chui (red bean soup), gandum (wheat dessert), rice dumplings, yam cake and peanut soup are sold between 80 sen and RM2 each.
Proprietor Ooi Siew Keow also serves curry puffs, springrolls and fried noodles.
The places suggested here serve only a portion of Penang's food; many off-the-beaten-track spots are still waiting to be discovered. --NST

Happy hour

2004-08-20T19:08:00.000+08:00

Alcohol I have tasted many but never logged before or remembered..... and now is the time to start. Some wines waiting to be popped and reviewed are Emiliana Novas Carmenere Cab Sauvignon (RM49), Maxwell Lime Cave Cab Sauvignon (RM148), Maxwell Frontignac Spatlese (RM53).

To begin with..... (from the latest tastes to the earliest)

	*Wild Vines Strawberry White Zinfadel* (RM23.90) - from USA, a refreshing and fun twist to wine drinking. Great for social gatherings and after-dinner winding down.
	*Robert Skalli Cabernet Sauvignon 1998* - coming soon
	*Chateau de Sadran Bordeaux 1997* - coming soon
	*Maxwell Frontignac Spatlese* - this winery is really growing on me. The range has been very satisfactory and impressing so far. This white is fruity and pleasing as the tastes vary thru prolong airing. Medium body and good for RM50.
	*Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 1997* - coming soon
	*Carruades De Lafite Pauillac 1994* - coming soon
	Canepa Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 - coming soon
	*Lindemans Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 1996* - coming soon
	*Hamilton Shiraz 1997* - typical shiraz, nothing much to shout about.
	*Bek se ju* - traditional wine from Korea with ginseng aroma, great for dinner. Easier than soju. My favorite.
	*Fragolino from Bottega* - red wine from Venice, with strawberry fragrance. Superb party wine. Priceless and difficult to get.
	Banrock station 2003 - Australian unwooded chardonnay RM40, suitable for accompanying chinese dinner, not overpowering, light and easy without that oaky/woody taste.
	Grahams Ruby Port - after tasting the Maxwell tawny port, this was very weak in character. Tastes like full body red wine, that's about it. Next bottle...
	*Maxwell Old Tawny Port*- beautiful port from Australia, great with cheese and fruits. Recommended. RM64.
	*Queen Adelaide Cabernet Sauvignon 2003*- red wine from Australia, better left in the bottle instead of using the decanter, somehow the latter makes the wine more bland and bitter. When first drinking straight from the bottle with a little glass swirling, the taste was just right, woody/bitter after taste with slight sweetness in the beginning, went very well with my spaghetti and garlic bread. Recommended. RM41.
	St.Denise Dark - from Belgium, a nice dark beer, not too bitter, easy going. Comes with those reusable bottle top thingy. Nice.
	Hacker-Pschorr - from Munich Germany, very malty and tasty, easy going... reminds me like Guiness Malta. Nice.
	Hoegaarden Grand Cru - beer from Brussels, Belgium. Unique taste of malt, refreshing. Nice.
	Sileni Sauvignon Blanc - white wine from New Zealand, easy going, slightly sweet and nice for leisure drinking. Recommended with decanter. RM64

Johor

2004-07-20T18:27:00.000+08:00

Eating in JB
by Joanne Teo Lifestyle@AsiaOne, 16 Oct 2000
Who can resist the cheap eats from across the Causeway?
We love the low Malaysian Ringgit and the food in JB. It's no wonder that on weekends, a dinner outing to JB has to start as early as 4pm just to beat the jam at the Causeway.
Over the years, I've found a few cheap-and-good and cheap-and-above-average places to eat. I don't promise they are still around, as I rarely find the time to go now.
Don't forget

For a bloody experience with sea hum or cockles, I head to Jangan Lupa (Literally translated as Don't Forget). The sea hum is immersed in boiling water for just the right amount of time. But the best part is the ginger and chilli sauce that comes with the sea hummmmmm.
You may be tempted to have some satay while you're there. At last count, there were five satay stalls in that small eating centre. Selecting which stall is good is difficult. And I swear, only one satay stall is worth eating from, if at all. Ask the sea hum man and he will tell you. If he's free, he'll even order for you.
The ice kacang stall next to Jagan Lupa is worth a try.
Jangan Lupa is nestled with a bunch of other stalls and is right next to the sea. Heading from the Causeway, drive along the coast. It's on the left hand side.
Don't get distracted by the large hawker centre on the right just before the General Hospital. Jangan Lupa is on the left hand side of the road, right next to the coast.
On to the fishball noodles

If you head in the opposite direction, keeping the coast on your right, toward the roundabout with the never-working fountain, go up the bridge toward New Hong Kong.
Drive to the end of the road, toward the ferry terminal, duty free shops and Eden Hotel. Take the last left along that road. Drive till you come to a T-junction and turn right.
Go past the King's stables, follow the road till it becomes a one way road from the other direction. It sounds more dangerous than it really is.
Right at this corner is the best fish ball noodles in JB, according to the locals. Only the best Ikan Parang is used in these fish balls. Morning, noon, till tea time, I find people here eating fish balls, cakes and wrapped around meat and so on. It seems that there is no bad time to eat fish balls.
You don't have to go to China
At the other end of the same row of shop houses is Pekin Restaurant. Here you can partake in cheap and good seafood. You will sometimes find the owner helping out, stacking chairs or serving tea. If business is especially good a particular year, the owner gives each of his staff a holiday overseas.
The other more upmarket Pekin branch is located somewhere in a housing estate between Carrefour and Giant, the local hypermarket. It's one of my favourite restaurants, with excellent roast meats, fried tang hoon (vermicelli) and fish maw soup. Good luck finding your way there!
And I'm not telling you where my favourite Gu Bak Kway Teow (Beef Noodle) stall is. I have eaten at that stall since I was a kid living in JB. It closes around 1pm and if more people know about it, it's going to close even earlier than that!
Hey, I can't tell you everything. Part of the fun is in the discovery.

Food trivia

2004-07-11T09:02:00.000+08:00

Top food lists - untested and unverified

2004-06-13T14:48:00.000+08:00

CHOW KOAY TIEW - Jalan Imbi : the corner restaurant which is on the same row with Sakura, and opposite of Honda Kah Motor.

WANTAN MEE/KARI MEE - End of old Subang airport road, in the Subang New Village Town Centre.

TAPIOCA NOODLES& VEGETABLES - Old Klang Road : a shack which is nestled behind a chinese primary school, after the market and the post office (which would be on your left).

KARI MEE (LEMAK) - SS1, PJ : Alisan Restaurant (2nd shop from corner), facing the Lorenzo Furniture Shop.

ROAST DUCK RICE - Seapark : Sunrise Coffee Shop

PRAWN MEE/KARIMEE/CHEE CHEONG FUN - Seapark : Coffee Shop near old Paramount Theatre.

CHICKEN RICE - Seapark: Coffee Shop opposite Seapark Market, run by 2 ladies whose husbands have since died.

FISH HEAD BEE HOON - Jln Gasing, PJ. Seng Kee Restaurant, in row of shops behind Lotus Restaurant.

YONG TAU FU - Ampang New Town/Ampang Village (there are 3 shops, so have your pick)

PAN MEE - Along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman behind KahMotors.

HOKKIEN MEE - Petaling Street opposite Hong Leong Bank

CHAR SIEW RICE - Jalan Tung Shin

NASI KANDAR - Kayu Nasi Kandar Restaurant in Taipan, Subang with a branch in SS2 a coffee shop formerly known as Cheow Yang
Teh Tarak & roti - Taman Desa next to the water tank
If money is not an issue - Madam Kwan (Nasi Lemak & curry fish head)

Little Penang (chow Koay Tiew & Prawnmee)

Bak kut teh - Jalan Imbi behind hong leong bank

Satay - Naan Corner in Ampang, in between International School and RSPCA, called Nur Satay.

Banana Leaf - Kannas in SS2, behind Lisa De Inn hotel

Nasi Lemak - Suzi corner, next to Ampang city (used to be called Kerris)

Won Ton Mien/Char Siew - Jln Sungai Besi; on the way to PLUS. Only open at 7pm-2am, a car repair shop by day.

Beef Brisket noodles - Tengkat Tong Shin; runs parallel to Jalan Alor. Stall near the beginning of the road. Open at night till late.

Char Siew/Chicken rice - Tengkat Tong Shin; further up the road. Old prewar shop house.

Fish balls - Tengkat Tong Shin; a little further up the road from char siew. Stall inside a coffee shop. This guy is good, look at the amount of people he employs to helpout!

Hokkien mee (KL style -thick, black, yummy (sounds kinky)) Petaling Street; at the intersection opposite Hong Leong Bank. Full of porcine goodness. Still the gold standard of Hokkien mee.

Seafood noodles - Segambut; near Auto Bavaria. A big bowl full of noodles and assorted mussels, prawns, cuttlefish, fish etc. for reasonable price. Pick of soup, clear, tom yam, curry. Forget the rest, go for the curry. Soya bean with cincau not bad. Avoid on Sunday mornings. You will wait for an hour. Fried Chicken Rice (only on Weds and Sat)!!

Ploughman's Lunch ? Finnegan's Seri Hartamas. A big plate filled with a pot of pate, slices of ham, pickle, onion, chunks of cheese, a slab of butter, 4 hunks of bread. If you are EXTREMELY hungry, this one's for you.

Chef's salad - Flagz; behind Souled Out. This salad is as all salads should be - crunchy FRESH veggies, and the dressing is to die for.Easily the best salad in town. And I don't even like salad. Beer is the freshest in town too, great bite.

Hokkien Mee (Penang style otherwise known as Prawn noodles) Champ's; Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru. Standard gone down somewhat recently, but still head and shoulders above all others in KL. You'll have to go to Penang to beat this.

Char Kway Teow Bukit Damansara; behind Hock Lee supermarket, next to Shell. Corner stall inside coffee shop. Best in KL. The fellow has been frying for longer than I can recall, and he is so good that you may have to wait up to 45 minutes during lunchtime. Doesn't use too much oil almost perfect. As above, you'll have to go to Penang to beat this. Other stalls in the same shop not bad.

Chicken rice Jalan Gasing; very close to the Federal Highway, same row as Southern Bank 2 shops one in the middle, one in the corner. Can't decide which is superior, but both are very good. Middle one has Ipoh taugeh.

Bak Kut Teh Klang, just about anywhere. Hokkien Association off the main highway leading to the heart of Klang is a good place to start for beginners.

Dim Sum ? Marriott Hotel. Chinese restaurant here serves northern China style dim sum. Easily best dim sum in town. A little pricey.

Fish head off Jalan Sungai Besi; just past Won Ton Mien, turn left right after BP. Three shops clumped together. All look dilapidated but don't worry. Don't know what type of fish they get their heads from, but I suspect fresh water fish. Hot sauce fish head to die for. Extremely reasonable prices.

Bak Kut Teh Segambut; go past Auto Bavaria, follow road all the way until you see a Chinese temple on your left. Enter the temple courtyard and you will see a tin shack where they serve bak kut teh. Not quite up there with Klang, but nothing to sneeze at. Go for yam rice rather than white rice. Fried Chicken Rice (only on Weds and Sat)!!

Nasi Kandar/Kerabu/Laut Taman Tun; the other end of Secret Recipe in a store on the same block, usually with a van outside. Truly Kelantanese style. Only in the morning though.

Seafood ? Pulau Carey; get to Jalan Banting and follow signs to Pulau Carey. Place called Kang Guan, just before the actual bridge onto the island. Cheap!

Nasi Lemak TangLin at Lake Gardens, near the Clinic/Hospital. Only open when government depts open.

Chicken rice - Bing Restaurant in Sri Rampai. Wait till you drop to eat the chicken rice. Worth it.

Durian !!!!

A selection of branded durians in a plantation in Balik Pulau, the durian centre of Penang

Durians of Balik Pulau
In Penang, Malaysia, the best place to get good durians is in the town of Balik Pulau, on the southwest corner of Penang Island. Balik Pulau is a 30
minute drive over the main range and has a lot of durian estates.

The following is a selection of branded durians which I photographed during the 2004 and 2006 AsiaExplorers Durian Feasts.

D11
"Number Eleven" is a very popular durian in the 70's. It has creamy yellow flesh with a pleasant taste and a subtle smell.

D604
The D604 was first cultivated by the late Mr. Teh Hew Hong of Sungai
Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh is quite sweet, and has some "body" to it as the seed is small.

D600
This durian originates in Sungai Pinang in Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I documented is a bit hard.

D700
The flesh is darker than D600, like chrome yellow. Also slightly hard. Crispy, but the smell is not very strong.

Ang Sim (Red Heart)
Ang Sim is a durian with flesh which is quite soft and very sweet, and dark yellow in colour. It also has a nice aroma.

Khun Poh
This durian takes the name of the late Mr Lau Khun Poh, who first budded it. Khun Poh has beautiful orangy flesh with a slightly bitter-sweet taste and a heavy aroma.

Hor Loh (Water Gourd Durian)
The flesh of the Hor Loh is very soft, dry and quite bitter. It has a sharp smell to it. Hor Loh was first cultivated at the Brown Estate of Sungai Ara. It got its name from its appearance resembling a "Hor Lor" pumpkin. If the durian hits the ground hard when it falls, the flesh tends to be bitter thereafter.

Ang Heh (Red Prawn Durian)
Ang Heh originates from Pondok Upeh, Balik Pulau, and has a round-shaped husk. The orange reddish flesh is highly aromatic, very soft with a bitter-sweet taste.

Xiao Hung (Little Red Durian)
Xiao Hung, whose name means "Little Red One," originates in Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I tasted for this write-up is a bit hard. There are only one or two seeds per section, but the flesh is thick.

Yah Kang (Centipede Durian)
Yah Kang is one of my favourite durians. Although its flesh is whitish, the taste is superb, milky, like very sweet, melting chocolate. The name "yah kang" means centipede, and accounts for the number of centipedes found at the foot of the tree, hence giving it the rather unusual name.

Bak Eu (Pork Fat Durian)
Bak Eu has a slightly acidic aroma. The flesh is whitish while the taste is quite bitter but nice.

The following are some of the durians I tried the first time at Peng Siew Durian Estate in Titi Serong, Balik Pulau, on the AsiaExplorers Durian
Feast, 17 June, 2006.

D17
D17 is dark cream flesh. The taste is slightly dry but sweet. It is a tasty durian.

Coupling
This durian is gets its unusual name because it looks like two durians joined together, one big and one small. When split open, you almost thought the two halves belong to two different durians. Coupling has whitish flesh which is slightly dry but tastes good.

Ooi Kyau (Tumeric Durian)
The name Ooi Kyau (tumeric) describes the colour of the bright yellow flesh of this durian. It is very sweet and tasty.

Chaer Phoy (Green Skin Durian)
Chaer Phoy is shaped like a small canteloupe. The skin is bright green, giving it the name which means "green skin". Chaer Phoy has creamy white flesh which is a bit dry, not too sweet but tasty.

Ang Jin (Red Yoke Durian)
As the name suggests, Ang Jin Durian has deep orange flesh. It is very sweet and tasty.

Lin Fong Jiau
This durian is named after Lin Fong Jiau, aka Mrs Jackie Chan. I wonder whether it is indicative of the relationship of the celebrity couple, for Lin Fong Jiau is a bittersweet